Cameron forced onto the defensive as Miller quits
DAVID Cameron was struggling to restore his authority last night, after his attempt to keep Maria Miller as culture secretary despite overwhelming public anger ended in failure.
Cameron acknowledged that public concern over MPs’ abuse of expenses was “still very raw” and that more had to be done to rebuild trust.
Ed Miliband accused Cameron of a “terrible error of judgement” for maintaining his loyalty to Miller for so long. The Labour leader’s view was shared by some Tory voices as well. Conservative vice-chairman Michael Fabricant greeted Miller’s resignation with the words “about time” – only to be sacked as the party sought to regain discipline.
Cameron appointed Sajid Javid as secretary of state for culture, media, sport and equalities, with Nicky Morgan becoming minister for women, controversially splitting the women and equalities roles which had both been filled by Miller.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister explained the changes as a “beefed up” women and equalities brief, telling journalists that there will now be four MPs with responsibility for the area.
However, Morgan won’t be in the cabinet but will attend when her brief is on the agenda. The number of women who are full members of the cabinet will thus fall to three out of 22.
Morgan will have two roles and replace Javid as financial secretary to the Treasury, as well as serving as minister for women.
Andrea Leadsom, who has a long career in finance behind her will become the next economic secretary, replacing Morgan. Leadsom worked for BZW and Barclays for ten years, eventually as financial institutions director. She spent another ten years as senior investment officer at Invesco Perpetual.
WINNERS AND LOSERS:
■ Maria Miller has resigned as culture secretary and minister for women and equalities in the Department for Culture Media and Sport.
■ Sajid Javid has been promoted to culture secretary with responsibility for the equalities brief.
■ Nicky Morgan will become the minister for women and the financial secretary to the Treasury, replacing Javid.
■ Andrea Leadsom will replace Morgan at the Treasury as economic secretary.
PROFILE: SAJID JAVID
DAVID Cameron’s new culture secretary is Sajid Javid, a state-educated, 44-year-old former banker, born in Rochdale.
A rising star in the Conservative party, Javid is respected as a possible future leader. He has worked for George Osborne and impressed the chancellor, who has championed him ever since.
Javid, who is married to childhood sweetheart Laura and has four children, was elected to represent Bromsgrove in 2010 and was inspired to join the party by Margaret Thatcher. One of five brothers, he is the son of an immigrant bus-driver who came to the UK from Pakistan with only a few pounds in his pocket. Javid went to a comprehensive and studied economics and politics at Exeter.
Starting at Chase Manhattan Bank in New York, he became vice-president at the age of 24, before returning to the UK and joining Deutsche Bank in London. In 2006, he was appointed Deutsche’s head of global credit trading in Asia, and relocated to Singapore. Bloomberg estimates he could have earnt up to £3m a year – he thus suffered a 98 per cent pay cut when he became an MP.
Javid’s rise in the political world was as swift, becoming a minister in 2012 two years after joining the Commons. He became financial secretary to the Treasury last October.