Confusion reigned early in Theresa May's cabinet reshuffle, as the official Conservatives account tweeted that Chris Grayling had been appointed party chairman – before the tweet was deleted.
Tory chairman Sir Patrick McLoughlin later confirmed to Sky News he has left the cabinet, with Number 10 tweeting later that Brandon Lewis will take up the role.
McLoughlin's departure follows the party's failure to win a majority in last summer's general election. The Tories' disastrous two-month campaign saw May's personal approval rating plummet.
Lewis's appointment will be welcomed by Tory activists who were frustrated by party’s response to the disastrous general election, and believe that its central structures need to be overhauled if they’re to avoid being outgunned by Labour in the next campaign.
Stephen Canning, a Tory youth activist and management consultant who has worked for Lewis, told BuzzFeed News: “Brandon is a huge asset to our party - loyal to his PM and his party, but with an eye on renewal and change. Experienced, but a fresh face who understands the grassroots and can connect with young and old alike. His media performances are solid and his record on difficult issues like housing and immigration is great.”
A Tory MP said Lewis is popular among the party’s grassroots and is seen as an effective, old-fashioned campaigner who also understands the need to improve the Tories’ presence on social media. As a “working class Essex boy”, he will help rejuvenate May’s plans to broaden the Tories’ appeal to voters in Labour’s traditional heartlands, the MP said.
However, after the tweet announcing Grayling had the role was deleted, social media users immediately began to make jokes about the ensuing chaos.
Meanwhile, James Brokenshire has resigned as Northern Ireland secretary due to ill health. He is set to undergo surgery within the next few weeks for a "small lesion in his right lung".
In a letter to the PM, he said: "Clearly my long-term health and my family are my priorities and I intend to proceed with surgery at the earliest opportunity ... My focus will now be on getting on with surgery, getting on with my recovery and getting back to frontline political duties and my responsibilities as MP for Old Bexley & Sidcup."
The ministerial reshuffle is expected to be the most extensive since Theresa May became prime minister in 2016. She is reportedly preparing to move or sack at least half a dozen cabinet ministers on Monday, ahead of a shake-up of junior ministers on Tuesday.
May has come under mounting pressure to shake up her top team and make it more representative of the country at large. It is thought that May would like to see more women and MPs from ethnic minorities in her government, with Seema Kennedy, Suella Fernandes, and Rishi Sunak all tipped for a post.
But the most senior members of the Cabinet – foreign secretary Boris Johnson, chancellor Philip Hammond, home secretary Amber Rudd and Brexit secretary David Davis – are all expected to remain in place.
As well as McLoughlin, education secretary Justine Greening, business secretary Greg Clark and Commons leader Andrea Leadsom are all reportedly vulnerable.
The PM will also likely appoint a replacement for her first secretary of state, Damian Green, who was forced to quit after admitting he lied over claims that porn was found on his computer by police in 2008.
On Sunday, May reiterated that she wanted to carry on as Conservative leader until 2022, when the next general election is due. "I’m not a quitter," she told BBC1's Andrew Marr Show. "I’m in this for the long term. I’ve said that I want to fight that."
Emily Ashton is a senior political correspondent for BuzzFeed News and is based in London.
Contact Emily Ashton at emily.ashton@buzzfeed.com.
Alex Spence is a senior political correspondent for BuzzFeed News and is based in London.
Contact Alex Spence at alex.spence@buzzfeed.com.
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