Michael Gove Returns As Levelling Up Secretary In Rishi Sunak's New Cabinet

(Photo: Leon Neal via Getty Images)

Michael Gove has been appointed levelling up secretary by Rishi Sunak, as the new prime minister assembled his cabinet.

It marks a quick return to office for Gove, who claimed he was quitting frontline politics in August.

Lisa Nandy, Labour’s shadow levelling up secretary, said: “Congratulations.

“The job has got a whole lot harder. But hey, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again.”

Dominic Raab has been made deputy prime minister and justice secretary, while Jeremy Hunt stays on as chancellor.

James Cleverly, a close ally of Boris Johnson, will remain as foreign secretary. Ben Wallace, who also was close to the former PM, stays as defence secretary.

Suella Braverman returns as home secretary, less than a week after resigning from that job after admitting breaching security rules.

Penny Mordaunt came out of the reshuffle as Commons Leader, failing to win a promotion after she challenged Sunak in the Tory leadership race, which he won without a vote being cast.

Simon Hart, a former Welsh secretary, has been appointed chief whip. He will be in charge of enforcing discipline in a party that has been consumed by infighting.

Other allies of Sunak benefited, with Mel Stride appointed work and pensions secretary and Oliver Dowden becoming chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster having resigned as party chairman after a disastrous double by-election loss under Johnson.

Therese Coffey, one of Truss’s closest friends in Westminster, was demoted from deputy PM and health secretary to become environment secretary.

But several other allies of the two former prime ministers have left cabinet, including Jacob Rees-Mogg, Simon Clarke and Wendy Morton.

Sunak took over as prime minister on Tuesday morning with a promise to “fix” the “mistakes” made by Liz Truss.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost UK and has been updated.

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