Esther McVey is Housing Minister; Robert Jenrick is Housing Secretary

The new Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government is the relatively unknown Robert Jenrick -  but his new housing minister has just been named as Esther McVey, the former Pensions Secretary.

McVey, 51, is a well-known figure in Conservative politics, having held a number of junior positions in the Cameron Coalition administration until entering the Cabinet in 2018, before resigning over Brexit late last year.

Until today Jenrick was Exchequer Secretary to HM Treasury in addition to his role as MP for Newark; now he takes on primary responsibility for the Boris Johnson government's housing policy.

Jenrick, who is 37, practised corporate law with an international law firm and has been a director of arts firm Christie’s prior to his election as an MP.

The former Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government was James Brokenshire - a Johnson supporter in the Tory leadership contest.

It is believed that the new Prime Minister gave Brokenshire ‘the opportunity to resign’ late this afternoon: he took it and then tweeted: “After 13 years service on the front bench including 9 in Government will be heading to the backbenches. Has been a huge privilege to serve, but looking forward to being released from collective responsibility and campaigning on issues that matter to me and my constituents.”

Melanie Dawes, the permanent secretary at MHCLG, tweeted: “Thank you @JBrokenshire from everyone at  @mhclg for your leadership as our Secretary of State.  It has been a pleasure to serve you and we wish you, Cathy and the family all the very best for the future.”

Elsewhere in Prime Minister Johnson’s controversial reshuffle, former housing minister Dominic Raab has become Foreign Secretary. Raab also has been appointed First Secretary of State, making him effectively the deputy Prime Minister.