Cabinet reshuffle - as it happened: Theresa May's attempt at show of strength ruined by ministers refusing to be moved

How the Prime Minister's New Year's reshuffle happened

Theresa May's cabinet reshuffle: Key positions

Theresa May’s attempts to reassert her authority through a Cabinet reshuffle ran into difficulties after senior ministers refused to move from their jobs.

Education Secretary Justine Greening dramatically quit the Government when Ms May tried to move her to the Department of Work and Pensions, leaving the Prime Minister scrambling to promote junior ministers to her top team.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt also spent more than 90 minutes in Downing Street where he resisted Ms May's attempts to persuade him to switch to Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and allow Business Secretary Greg Clark to take on his role.

Cabinet “big beasts” such as Boris Johnson, Philip Hammond and Amber Rudd all kept their jobs, which led to critics quoting the PM's widely mocked election campaign claim that "nothing has changed" - when she made a major U-turn on a social care pledge.

Earlier, the shake-up descended into chaos when the Conservatives’ official Twitter account accidentally put out that Transport Secretary Chris Grayling would become party chairman – before Immigration Minister Brandon Lewis was officially appointed shortly after.

Former Justice Secretary David Lidington was appointed to replace the PM's close ally Damian Green, who was sacked as the Cabinet Office minister and de facto Prime Minister last month for misleading statements over pornography found on his office computer.

A younger and more diverse team of MPs was appointed to hold various Conservative party posts, although the appointment of pro-life MP Maria Caulfield to a prominent women's role attracted controversy.

Please see the live updates below

Key Points

• Justine Greening quits as Education Secretary after Theresa May tried to move her to another department
• Chris Grayling mistakenly named as party chairman - before Brandon Lewis appointed an hour later
• David Lidington replaces disgraced Damian Green at the Cabinet Office
• James Brokenshire resigns as Northern Ireland Secretary over ill health
• Here's the latest on who is in and who is out in the new year's reshuffle

[8 January 2018 17:49 · Ashley Cowburn]

New: Karen Bradley has been moved to Northern Ireland Secretary, replacing James Brokenshire. She was formerly the Culture Secretary.

[8 January 2018 17:59 · Lizzy Buchan]

Sketchwriter Tom Peck was at Downing Street to watch the 'Nothing has Changed' reshuffle.

He writes: "Like all good January detoxes, Theresa May's reshuffle was a meaningless token gesture in no way sufficient to undo the damage done."

[8 January 2018 18:15 · Lizzy Buchan]

Time to recap on what we know so far on Theresa May's Cabinet reshuffle.

In:

Brandon Lewis becomes Conservative Party chairman, moving from the Home Office where he was Immigration minister.

James Cleverly, a prominent backbencher, is the new Tory Party deputy chairman. 

David Lidington replaces Ms May's ally Damian Green as Minister for the Cabinet Office, although he does not get the First Secretary of State title. He was formerly the Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor.

David Gauke leaves the Department for Work and Pensions to become the new Justice Secretary, replacing David Lidington.

Karen Bradley becomes Northern Ireland Secretary. She was the Culture Secretary.

Jeremy Hunt adds social care to his brief, becoming Health and Social Care Secretary.

Sajid Javid becomes Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government - adding housing to his job title.

Out:

Sir Patrick McLoughlin resigns as Conservative Party chairman.

James Brokenshire steps down as Northern Ireland Secretary for health reasons. He is due to have major surgery to treat a lesion to his right lung.

Nothing has changed:

Chancellor Philip Hammond stays at the Treasury.

Amber Rudd remains Home Secretary.

Boris Johnson will keep his role as Foreign Secretary.

Greg Clark stays as Business Secretary.

Brexit Secretary David Davis remains in his role.

Gavin Williamson carries on as Defence Secretary.

[8 January 2018 18:25 · Lizzy Buchan]

Interesting tweets here about the social care changes from Norman Lamb, a former care minister in the Coalition Government.

[8 January 2018 18:40 · Lizzy Buchan]

Speculation is ongoing about the remaining Cabinet posts, including the future of Education Secretary Justine Greening. 

A new Work and Pensions Secretary is needed after David Gauke was moved to the Ministry of Justice, and a new Culture Secretary following Karen Bradley's appointment as Northern Ireland Secretary.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling is still inside Number 10 too.

[8 January 2018 18:41 · Lizzy Buchan]

Just in: Matt Hancock has just been announced as the new Culture Secretary, according to Downing Street.

Mr Hancock - a junior minister in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport - replaces Karen Bradley, who has gone to become Northern Ireland Secretary.

[8 January 2018 18:57 · Lizzy Buchan]

Liam Fox remains in his post as International Trade Secretary and President of the Board of Trade.

[8 January 2018 19:02 · Lizzy Buchan]

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn described the Cabinet reshuffle as "a pointless and lacklustre PR exercise" in a speech to the parliamentary Labour party.

Mr Corbyn said his party was actively preparing for Government, with frontbench meetings due to take place this week.

He was expected to tell MPs: "It’s simply not good enough. You can’t make up for nearly eight years of failure by changing the name of a department.

"Back in the real world, outside Westminster, our health service is on its knees: with patients dying as they wait for ambulances to arrive, ambulances stacking up outside hospitals, and corridors full with trolleys and patients.

"Yesterday on the BBC’s Marr show, Theresa May said of the NHS crisis that “nothing is perfect.”

"That is breathtaking complacency and entirely unacceptable. When people are dying because of this government’s decisions, we know what it is that has to change."

[8 January 2018 19:04 · Lizzy Buchan]

Chris Grayling stays in his post as Transport Secretary.

Earlier today he was wrongly named as Conservative Party chairman - a post which later went to Immigration Minister Brandon Lewis.

Here's the story:

[8 January 2018 19:09 · Lizzy Buchan]

Penny Mordaunt also stays as International Development Secretary. 

She was only promoted to the post in November, after Priti Patel was forced to resign for holding secret meetings with senior Israeli politicians without informing Downing Street.