Movers and shakers: Meet the ministers tasked with driving Britain’s green economy

With the ministerial merry-go-round of the new Prime Minister's cabinet reshuffle now complete, a degree of confusion remains over who exactly holds the keys to the Government's green agenda. Here, edie lists the energy and environment ministers that have traded places in the recent overhaul.


Theresa May surprised many political observers with her first actions as head of UK Government. The appointment of notoriously undiplomatic Boris Johnson to the role of Foreign Secretary raised a few eyebrows, in sharp contrast to the welcome retention of Larry the cat as Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office.

Highly controversial decisions were also made in the Government’s green ministries – most notably the suprising axe and merger of DECC into a new expanded business department. Following that announcement, attentions immediately turned to what the transfer of power will mean for the green economy and what opportunities and challenges will arise from the new regime.

New ministers have taken the hotseats at Defra and the newly-created Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategies (BIES), with subsequent junior ministerial changes only adding to the mayhem over the past few days.

With the dust now finally settled on the parliamentary whirlwind that has recently engulfed British politics, you would be forgiven for not knowing exactly which environmental politicians remain in positions of power.

Who survived the major upheaval and who was left high and dry? Whose stock has risen and who exited Government as swiftly as David Cameron’s Downing Street removal van? Take a look through the full list of ministers below to see who is ‘IN’ and ‘OUT’ of Defra and BEIS.

 

George Ogleby

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