Continuity at UK DIT but changes at the FCO

All Ministers within the UK Government’s Department for International Trade (DIT) have been reappointed following the general election last week. Led by Liam Fox as Secretary of State, DIT Ministers Greg Hands, Mark Garnier and Lord Price are responsible for promoting British trade across the world and ensuring the UK takes advantage of opportunities in a post-Brexit state. These appointments have provided the department with some consistency unlike the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) that, despite keeping Boris Johnson as Secretary of State and Sir Alan Duncan for Minister of State for Europe and the Americas, has seen a substantial change in junior ministers.

Alok Sharma, who was Foreign Minister for Asia and the Pacific, has moved to the Department for Communities and Local Government. Tobias Ellwood who was Parliamentary Under Secretary for Middle East and Africa has moved to the Ministry of Defence. Baroness Anelay who held the Commonwealth portfolio at the FCO has moved to the Department for Exiting the European Union.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon and Mark Field have been appointed new Foreign and Commonwealth Ministers but with remits and responsibilities currently unknown. Both Rory Stewart and Alistair Burt have joined the FCO alongside their ministerial positions at Department for International Development.

For full Ministerial appointments since the elections see here.