Four new junior ministers have joined the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office following a reshuffle in the U.K. Cabinet, which also saw Elizabeth Truss added to the department as foreign secretary.
Liz Truss named UK foreign secretary, overseeing reduced aid budget
The new foreign secretary comes fresh from trade deal-making but enters a department adrift.
Amanda Milling has joined FCDO as a minister of state, having previously worked as minister without portfolio at the Cabinet Office — a position now appointed to Nigel Adams, who was minister for Asia.
Vicky Ford replaces James Duddridge as minister for Africa. Duddridge left the job with mixed reviews of his performance in the position he held since February 2020.
Deborah Stedman-Scott has joined the team as minister for women. She will simultaneously maintain a role at the Department for Work and Pensions.
Kemi Badenoch is listed as a departmental minister because of her equalities responsibilities — shared with Truss — but her main job will be domestic as the so-called minister for leveling up at the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government.
Despite being the minister responsible for Afghanistan during the recent crisis, Tariq Ahmad has remained in his position.
The department's special advisers also saw changes. POLITICO reported that Adam Jones, who worked with Truss at the Department for International Trade, followed her to FCDO. And Robert Oxley left FCDO to work for newly appointed Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, according to The Sunday Times.
Why does it matter? Junior ministers have the most interaction with development organizations of anyone in government and are crucial interlocutors for the sector. They also take on many important thematic tasks delegated to them, so their personalities and priorities can be hugely influential.
About the author
William Worley@willrworley
Will Worley is the Climate Correspondent for Devex, covering the intersection of development and climate change. He previously worked as UK Correspondent, reporting on the FCDO and British aid policy during a time of seismic reforms. Will’s extensive reporting on the UK aid cuts saw him shortlisted for ‘Specialist Journalist of the Year’ in 2021 by the British Journalism Awards. He can be reached at william.worley@devex.com.