‘Reshuffling the deckchairs’: Emily Thornberry reacts to Shapps as new defence secretary

Rishi Sunak replacing Ben Wallace with Grant Shapps as defence secretary is “just reshuffling the deckchairs,” Emily Thornberry has said.

The Shadow Attorney General told Sky News: “The ship is going down and they don’t have any new ideas.”

Mr Shapps has been appointed to his fifth Cabinet role in the last year by becoming defence secretary on Thursday (31 August).

His change in role was prompted by Mr Wallace’s formal resignation.

Claire Coutinho has replaced Mr Shapps as energy secretary.