Cornwall MP loses Environment Secretary job as Prime Minister names Cabinet
Camborne and Redruth MP George Eustice is promising scrutiny from the backbenches
Last updated 7th Sep 2022
A Cornwall MP has pledged to "offer scrutiny" from the backbenches after being sacked as Environment Secretary.
New Prime Minister, Liz Truss, has been naming her new Cabinet, which no longer includes Camborne and Redruth's George Eustice.
In a statement on his departure from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Mr Eustice said: "It has been a privilege to have been a Defra minister for the past nine years, under three different prime ministers, including almost three years in Cabinet during the most challenging of times.
"I will now offer scrutiny and advice from the backbenches".
His departure is one of a raft of decisions made by Ms Truss since giving her first speech as Prime Minister, in which she said the UK would "ride out the storm".
Speaking in Downing Street, she said: "I’m confident that together we can ride out the storm, we can rebuild our economy and we can become the modern brilliant Britain that I know we can be".
Shortly after finishing her speech in Downing Street, Ms Truss headed to Parliament where she began a cull of ministers who had been loyal to her leadership rival Rishi Sunak.
Among the casualties were Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary Dominic Raab, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Health Secretary Steve Barclay.
Ms Truss then rewarded allies, with Kwasi Kwarteng taking the key post of Chancellor, Therese Coffey becoming Deputy Prime Minister and Health Secretary, while James Cleverly has been appointed Foreign Secretary.
But Nadine Dorries turned down the offer to stay on as culture secretary, while former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said that he had also rejected a Cabinet post.
In her speech outside No 10, Ms Truss paid tribute to her predecessor, saying: “Boris Johnson delivered Brexit, the Covid vaccine and stood up to Russian aggression.
“History will see him as a hugely consequential Prime Minister".
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