Jonathan Gullis and Angela Richardson have been made deputy chairs of the Conservative Party in a mini-reshuffle announced today.
The MP for Stoke North, who has a noticeable likeness to former Tory MP Lee Anderson, said he was “ready to take the fight” to Labour after he took up the position.
Anderson was forced to quit as deputy chairman after he backed amendments seeking to toughen up the Rwanda Bill.
He later defected to the Reform Party to become their only MP in the House of Commons.
Other moves in the mini-reshuffle triggered by the resignations of Robert Halfon and James Heappey include Nus Ghani becoming minister for Europe at the Foreign Office and Alan Mak becoming a junior minister jointly in the Department for Business and Trade and the Cabinet Office.
Kevin Hollinrake, who as Post Office minister held a junior ministerial role, has now been promoted to minister of state rank in the Department for Business and Trade.
Veteran MP Mr Halfon, who has served in a series of senior roles since first being elected to Parliament in 2010, said in a letter to Mr Sunak: “After well over two decades as the Harlow Parliamentary Candidate and as MP, I feel that it is time for me to step down at the forthcoming general election, and in doing so, to resign as a minister in your Government.”
Mr Heappey, the Conservative MP for Wells, Somerset, earlier this month announced his plan to quit as an MP and to stand down as a minister before then.
In a thread posted to X, he wrote: “I’ve loved every minute as MinAF in this incredible department.
“Our Armed Forces & MoD civil servants are the very best of us.
“Representing them in Parliament & around the world over last 4.5 years has been an amazing privilege.”
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