Boris Johnson might not be much closer to delivering Brexit but he has succeeded at creating one of the most controversial cabinets in recent memory.
After a string of resignations from Theresa May’s supporters and a brutal cull of Jeremy Hunt backers, Johnson brought in his new team of Tory bogeymen yesterday.
Highlights include: a home secretary who was previously fired for holding secret meetings in Israel, a foreign secretary who didn’t realise how important the Dover-Calais crossing was for trade, and an education secretary who has consistently voted against LGBT+ rights.
This is why Johnson's cabinet has angered so many people.
Chancellor - SajidJavid
Javid is arguably one of the least controversial appointments in Johnson's team. At the very least, he is the first BAME chancellor of the UK.
Nevertheless, he is likely to anger some people as an ardent Margaret Thatcher fanboy - he has a portrait of her in his office - and for his work as a banker, which allegedly saw him receive huge bonuses channelled through a tax haven.
Sajid Javid, a former banker and the man who participated in offshore tax avoidance schemes to undermine the UK tax… https://t.co/1eomnWLg7T— Prem Sikka (@Prem Sikka) 1563998301
He also apparently reads a scene from the The Fountainhead, a novel by right-wing favourite Ayn Rand, every year...
Home secretary - Priti Patel
The return of Priti Patel is surprising to say the least. The former May cabinet member was forced to resign in 2017, when it was revealed that she held meetings in Israel to discuss official government business without telling the Foreign Office.
Here's former Conservative chairman Sayeeda Warsi's take on her appointment.
Forced to resign over unofficial meetings with Israeli officials including #Netanyahu two years ago Today #HomeSec… https://t.co/L9ordFTq0R— Sayeeda Warsi (@Sayeeda Warsi) 1563991096
Patel has also backed the death penalty in recent years and has repeatedly voted against LGBT+ rights and general human rights legislation.
And she suggested threatening food shortages in Ireland under a no deal Brexit to get an upper hand in negotiations with the EU…
Foreign secretary - Dominic Raab
You might remember Raab as the Brexit secretary who resigned in protest of the deal he negotiated, or the Tory leadership candidate who said he was "probably not a feminist", or the man who didn’t realise that the Dover-Calais crossing is actually very important for trade…
Despite this, he now has one of the most important jobs in the country.
Dominic Raab, who didn’t know that the channel would be a problem when it came to Dover-Calais, is Foreign Secretary— Mollie Goodfellow (@Mollie Goodfellow) 1563991240
I'm sick of being referred to as the worst Foreign Secretary in history, so I'm letting Dominic Raab have a go.— Parody Boris Johnson (@Parody Boris Johnson) 1563989206
I swear to god if the rumours are true and Dominic Raab is made Foreign Sec, then fingers crossed I drown in my own sweat today.— Hannah Jane Parkinson (@Hannah Jane Parkinson) 1563966889
Education secretary - Gavin Williamson
If you cast your mind back to May, you might remember that Gavin Williamson was sacked as defence secretary for allegedly leaking information from a National Security Council meeting about Chinese phone company Huawei.
However, after less than two months in the wilderness, Williamson has clearly served his time and is ready to return to the frontline of Conservative politics.
If Civil Servants had done anything close to what Gavin Williamson and Priti Patel got sacked for they would never… https://t.co/zWY8hKrjj9— Stewart McDonald MP (@Stewart McDonald MP) 1564000583
He has also almost always voted against equal LGBT+ rights, generally voted against measures to prevent climate change and consistently voted for raising tuition fees in parliament.
Gavin Williamson has actively opposed LGBTQ rights time and time again. He’s now Education Secretary at a time when… https://t.co/SpUPFGmaWV— Owen Jones 🌹 (@Owen Jones 🌹) 1564005828
At least Labour shadow education secretary Angela Rayner was happy to be facing him.
Hey congrats @GavinWilliamson I look forward to educating you 😛— Angela Rayner (@Angela Rayner) 1563996322
Environment secretary - Theresa Villiers
With the rise of climate protests this year, the role of environment secretary has become an important and potentially controversial position in the government.
So let’s have a look at Villiers’ record in parliament on environmental issues…
#TheresaVilliers is the new Environment Secretary: ▪️ Voted 11 times against measures to prevent climate change ▪️… https://t.co/oKTgcWvNz2— Jon Burke FRSA (@Jon Burke FRSA) 1564005967
It doesn’t look like Johnson’s cabinet is going to take climate change as seriously as it needs to.
As for the rest, we now have...
A justice secretary (Robert Buckland) who has generally voted against human rights and voted for restricting legal aid.
A business secretary (Andrea Leadsom) who was accused of making ‘misleading’ claims on her CV and had family links to an offshore banker and Tory donor.
And a transport secretary (Grant Schapps) who resigned over a bullying scandal in the Conservative party, in which a young man is thought to have killed himself.
Johnson’s plan to "unite the country" hasn’t got off to a great start…
Christ on a bike. Just looked at the new cabinet. Well, the Johnson ministry will be like life in the Middle Ages:… https://t.co/FIwkFcFhk7— alexmassie (@alexmassie) 1564034752
One of the most right wing Cabinets in history. Boris Johnson is not "bringing the country together". He's tearing… https://t.co/A3DtbRRwgL— David Lammy (@David Lammy) 1564034770
The hard right has taken over the Conservative Party. Thatcherites, libertarians and No Deal Brexiters control it t… https://t.co/XpemYtSrn4— Nick Boles (@Nick Boles) 1563992260
Boris Johnson's cabinet is the most right wing in years But Parliament is sovereign He has no majority And we wi… https://t.co/L11Z9nbhYR— Caroline Lucas (@Caroline Lucas) 1564041328
Boris Johnson's cabinet: the main players. #cabinetreshuffle https://t.co/hFQDLaGI4e— David Schneider (@David Schneider) 1563999270