Politics as it happened: Grant Shapps replaces Wallace as Defence Secretary in Rishi Sunak's mini reshuffle
Follow the latest news and analysis on our live blog as Rishi Sunak carries out a mini Cabinet reshuffle.
Grant Shapps has replaced Ben Wallace as Defence Secretary, who formally handed in his resignation after four years in the role.
As Shapps is the current Energy Secretary, this will require a mini reshuffle as he already sits in Cabinet. Education minister and Sunak loyalist Claire Coutinho has replaced him. It is Shapps' fifth Cabinet role in a year, after previously serving as Transport, Home (for six days), Business and Energy Secretary.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, Wallace said: “The Ministry of Defence is back on the path to being once again world class with world class people. The United Kingdom is respected around the world for our armed forces and that respect has only grown more since the war in Ukraine."
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