British PM Boris Johnson has made changes to his top team in light of his Tory party’s landslide victory in the general election, sacking a number of high profile ministers, including Julian Smith, the Northern Ireland secretary.
Smith was the first cabinet member to fall victim to Johnson’s reshuffle, having only been in his role for 204 days. It’s a move that has surprised many after Smith oversaw the restoration of Northern Ireland’s power-sharing government last month – a notable achievement considering a resolution could not be found in the three years prior.
The ousted minister took to social media on Thursday to express his gratitude to Johnson “for giving me the chance to serve this amazing part of our country.” Details as to why he was removed have not yet emerged.
Serving the people of Northern Ireland has been the biggest privilege. I am extremely grateful to @BorisJohnson for giving me the chance to serve this amazing part of our country. The warmth & support from people across NI has been incredible. Thank you so much.
Several other frontbench ministers have been given the boot, including Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers, Housing Secretary Esther McVey, and Andrea Leadsom, the business secretary.
Attorney General Geoffrey Cox announced on social media that he “resigned that office as requested” by the prime minister. Cox had recently raised the prospect of Supreme Court judges having to undergo an interview process with UK MPs as part of their job application.
