# 2020 British cabinet reshuffle

Boris Johnson carried out the first significant reshuffle of his majority government on 13 February 2020. Following the December 2019 general election, there was considerable speculation that Johnson was planning a major reshuffle of the Cabinet, to take place after the United Kingdom's official withdrawal from the European Union on 31 January 2020. There were reports that up to a third of the Cabinet would be dismissed, Whitehall departments abolished and civil servants replaced by policy experts; however, the reshuffle was smaller than expected and no departments were abolished. The anticipated reshuffle was nicknamed "The St Valentine's Day Massacre" in the press, due to its proximity to St Valentine's Day, the name being a reference to the 1929 gangland shooting in Chicago.
Johnson formed his first ministry on 24 July 2019, following his election as Leader of the Conservative Party and subsequent appointment as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. In September 2019, he carried out small reshuffles in response to the resignations of two Cabinet ministers (Jo Johnson and Amber Rudd). After the Conservative Party's victory in the 2019 general election, Johnson's only change had been to fill the position left vacant by Alun Cairns' resignation in the previous month.
On 13 February 2020, Johnson reshuffled the government. Five Cabinet ministers were sacked, including the Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith, a decision that was criticised by several politicians and commentators following Smith's success in restoring the devolved Northern Ireland Executive under the terms of the New Decade, New Approach agreement. Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid resigned from the Cabinet after refusing Johnson's demand that he dismiss his advisers.
This was the last major cabinet reshuffle before the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, and was followed by two more reshuffles in 2021 and 2022.

## Cabinet-level changes

| Minister | Position before reshuffle | Result of reshuffle |
| Rt Hon The Baroness Morgan of Cotes PC | Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport | Left the government (intention to stand down announced in January 2020) |
| Rt Hon Oliver Dowden CBE MP | Minister for the Cabinet Office Paymaster General | Became Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport |
| Rt Hon Michael Gove MP | Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster | Given additional role as Minister for the Cabinet Office |
| Rt Hon Julian Smith CBE MP | Secretary of State for Northern Ireland | Left the government |
| Rt Hon Brandon Lewis CBE MP | Minister of State for Security and Deputy for EU Exit and No Deal Preparation | Became Secretary of State for Northern Ireland |
| Rt Hon Esther McVey MP | Minister of State for Housing and Planning | Left the government |
| Rt Hon Andrea Leadsom MP | Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy | Left the government |
| Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP | Secretary of State for International Development | Became Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy |
| Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP | Minister of State for the Armed Forces | Became Secretary of State for International Development |
| Rt Hon Geoffrey Cox QC MP | Attorney General for England and Wales Advocate General for Northern Ireland | Left the government |
| Suella Braverman MP | Backbench MP | Became Attorney General for England and Wales and Advocate General for Northern Ireland |
| Rt Hon Theresa Villiers MP | Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | Left the government |
| George Eustice MP | Minister of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food | Became Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs |
| Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP | Chancellor of the Exchequer | Resigned after refusing to dismiss his advisers |
| Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP | Chief Secretary to the Treasury | Became Chancellor of the Exchequer |
| Rt Hon Steve Barclay MP | Backbench MP, previously Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union until January 31, 2020 | Became Chief Secretary to the Treasury |
| Rt Hon James Cleverly TD VR MP | Minister without Portfolio (Chairman of the Conservative Party) | Left the Cabinet; became Minister of State for the Middle East & North Africa and International Development |
| Amanda Milling MP | Deputy Chief Government Whip Treasurer of the Household | Became Minister without Portfolio (and Chairman of the Conservative Party) |
| Rt Hon Jake Berry MP | Minister of State for the Northern Powerhouse | Resigned after refusing a new position at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office |

## Junior ministerial changes

| Minister | Position before reshuffle | Result of reshuffle |
| Rt Hon Chris Skidmore FRHistS FSA FRSA MP | Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation | Left the government |
| Michelle Donelan MP | Backbencher | Became Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation |
| George Freeman MP | Minister of State for Transport | Left the government |
| Andrew Stephenson MP | Minister of State for Africa and International Development | Became Minister of State for Transport |
| Nigel Adams MP | Minister of State for Sport, Media & Creative Industries | Became Minister of State for Africa and International Development |
| Caroline Dinenage MP | Minister of State for Social Care | Became Minister of State for Sport, Media & Creative Industries |
| Helen Whately MP | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Arts, Heritage and Tourism | Became Minister of State for Social Care |
| Nigel Huddleston MP | Backbencher | Became Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Arts, Heritage and Tourism |
| Rt Hon John Whittingdale OBE MP | Backbencher | Became Minister of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport |
| Nus Ghani MP | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport | Left the government |
| Kelly Tolhurst MP | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy | Became Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport |
| Paul Scully MP | Backbencher | Became Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Minister for London |
| Chris Philp MP | Minister for London | Became Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Home Affairs |
| James Heappey MP | Backbencher | Became Minister of State for the Armed Forces |
| Rt Hon Dr Andrew Murrison MP | Minister of State for International Development and the Middle East | Left the government |
| Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP | Backbencher | Became Paymaster General |
| Rt Hon Christopher Pincher MP | Minister of State for Europe and the Americas | Became Minister of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government |
| Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP | Backbencher | Became Minister of State for Security |
| Jeremy Quin MP | Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office | Became Minister for Defence Procurement |
| Julia Lopez MP | Backbencher | Became Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office |
| Chloe Smith MP | Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office | Became Minister of State for the Cabinet Office |
| Robin Walker MP | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland | Became Minister of State for Northern Ireland |
| Heather Wheeler MP | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs | Left the government |
| Wendy Morton MP | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice | Became Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and International Development as Minister for European Neighbourhood and the Americas |
| James Duddridge MP | Backbencher | Became Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and International Development |
| Alex Chalk MP | Backbencher | Became Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice |
| Victoria Prentis MP | Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Leader of the House of Commons | Became Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs |
| Amanda Solloway MP | Backbencher | Became Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Science, Research and Innovation |
| Paul Maynard MP | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport | Left the government |
| Rachel Maclean MP | Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Chancellor of the Exchequer | Became Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport |
| Gillian Keegan MP | Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care | Became Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education |
| Simon Clarke MP | Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury | Became Minister of State for the Northern Powerhouse |
| Kemi Badenoch MP | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families | Became Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Trade |
| Vicky Ford MP | Backbencher | Became Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families |
| Kit Malthouse MP | Minister of State for Crime, Policing and the Fire Service | Given additional position as Minister of State for Justice |
| The Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park | Minister of State for the Environment | Given additional position as Minister of State for Pacific |
| The Lord Agnew of Oulton | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the School System | Became Minister of State for Efficiency and Transformation |
| The Lord True | Backbench Peer | Became Minister of State for European Union Relations and Constitutional Policy |

## Whips' Office appointments

| Whip | Previous position | New position |
| Stuart Andrew MP | Vice-Chamberlain of the Household | Deputy Chief Government Whip Treasurer of the Household |
| Marcus Jones MP | Assistant Government Whip | Vice-Chamberlain of the Household |
| James Morris MP | Assistant Government Whip | Lord Commissioner of the Treasury |
| Michael Tomlinson MP | Backbencher | Lord Commissioner of the Treasury |
| Alex Chalk MP | Backbencher | Assistant Government Whip |
| Eddie Hughes MP | Backbencher | Assistant Government Whip |
| The Viscount Younger of Leckie | Backbencher | Lord-in-waiting Government Whip |
| The Baroness Scott of Bybrook | Backbencher | Baroness-in-Waiting Government Whip |

## Reaction
### Dismissal of Julian Smith

The decision to dismiss Julian Smith as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland was criticised by a number of prominent political figures in Northern Ireland, including SDLP leader Colum Eastwood who described the move as showing "dangerous indifference" by the Prime Minister. Smith had been widely seen as instrumental in securing a cross-party deal to restore the Northern Ireland Executive, the New Decade, New Approach agreement, after three years without a devolved government in Stormont. Tributes to Smith's tenure as Northern Ireland Secretary were paid by NI First Minister Arlene Foster and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. Both praised him for his role in ending the political deadlock in the country.
Many political commentators expressed their surprise at Smith's dismissal, given his perceived success during his time as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Some suggested that Smith's testimony to the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee in October 2019, in which he described a potential no-deal Brexit as being "a very, very bad idea for Northern Ireland", had influenced the decision to remove him from his position. Stephen Bush, political editor of the New Statesman, speculated that the consequence of Johnson's removal of Smith would be the destabilisation of the new power-sharing agreement and increased difficulty in negotiating the details of the "New Protocol".

### Resignation of Sajid Javid

Tensions between 10 Downing Street and the Treasury had come to a head in August 2019, when the Prime Minister's Chief Special Adviser Dominic Cummings dismissed one of Chancellor Sajid Javid's aides, Sonia Khan, without Javid's permission and without informing him. It was alleged that, during her dismissal, Cummings "went outside No 10 and asked an armed officer to enter the building and escort Khan off the premises." In November 2019, following questions of a rift between the two men, Johnson gave his assurance that he would retain Javid as Chancellor after the 2019 general election.
However, in the weeks leading up to the reshuffle, a number of briefings in the press had suggested that a new economic ministry led by Rishi Sunak might be established, to reduce the power and political influence of the Treasury. Sunak was considered to be a Johnson loyalist, seen as the "rising star" minister who had ably represented the Prime Minister during the 2019 election debates. By February 2020, it was reported that Javid would remain in his role as Chancellor and that Sunak would stay on as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, in order to "keep an eye" on Javid.
On 13 February 2020, the day of the reshuffle, Javid resigned as Chancellor of the Exchequer, following a meeting with the Prime Minister. During the meeting, Johnson had offered to allow Javid to keep his position on the condition that he dismiss all his advisers at the Treasury and replace them with ones selected by 10 Downing Street. Upon resigning, Javid told the Press Association that "no self-respecting minister would accept those terms".
The Chancellor's resignation had been unexpected, given Johnson's commitment to keep him in the Cabinet and recent reports that a rival finance ministry would not be created. Robert Shrimsley, chief political commentator of the Financial Times, warned that the Prime Minister's handling of his relationship with Javid could damage the government. He argued that "good government often depends on senior ministers – and the chancellor in particular – being able to fight bad ideas. Mr Johnson's cabinet has just seen the price of defiance".