# February 2023 British cabinet reshuffle

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak carried out the first cabinet reshuffle of his premiership on 7 February 2023. The reshuffle saw a significant restructuring of a number of government departments, and gave Sunak the opportunity to fill the vacancy left by Nadhim Zahawi after he was dismissed as Chairman of the Conservative Party and Minister without Portfolio on 29 January 2023, following a scandal surrounding his tax affairs.
The reshuffle saw a significant restructuring of government departments. The Department for International Trade and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) were merged to form the new Department for Business and Trade. The energy and climate policy responsibilities of BEIS were spun off to form the new Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. The science and innovation policies of BEIS were combined with the digital portfolio of the former Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to form the new Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. The DCMS continues as the newly constituted Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

## Cabinet-level changes

| Minister | Position before reshuffle | Position after reshuffle |
| Rt Hon Greg Hands MP | Minister of State for Trade Policy | Chairman of the Conservative Party Minister without Portfolio |
| Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP | Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy | Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero |
| Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch MP | Secretary of State for International Trade President of the Board of Trade | Secretary of State for Business and Trade President of the Board of Trade |
| Rt Hon Michelle Donelan MP | Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport | Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology |
| Rt Hon Lucy Frazer KC MP | Minister of State for Housing and Planning | Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport |
| Rt Hon Oliver Dowden MP | Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster | Secretary of State in the Cabinet Office Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster |

## Junior ministerial changes

| Minister | Department before reshuffle | Department after reshuffle |
| Rachel Maclean MP | Backbench MP | Levelling Up, Housing and Communities |
| Rt Hon Graham Stuart MP | Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy | Energy Security and Net Zero |
| George Freeman MP | Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy | Science, Innovation and Technology |
| Nus Ghani MP | Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy | Business and Trade |
| Kevin Hollinrake MP | Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy | Business and Trade |
| Nigel Huddleston MP | International Trade | Business and Trade |
| Maria Caulfield MP | International Trade | Business and Trade |
| Andrew Bowie MP | International Trade | Energy Security and Net Zero |
| Paul Scully MP | Digital, Culture, Media and Sport | Science, Innovation and Technology |

## Whips' Office appointments

| Whip | Whip | Previous position | New position |
| | Stuart Anderson MP | Assistant Government Whip | Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury |
| | Ruth Edwards MP | Backbench MP | Assistant Government Whip |

## Conservative Party appointments

| Appointee | Appointee | Position before appointment | New party position |
| | Lee Anderson MP | Backbench MP | Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party |