Prime Minister David Cameron has appointed the former Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Sajid Javid as his incoming business secretary after the Conservative Party won a surprising majority in last week’s general election.
Javid replaces Liberal Democrat heavyweight Vince Cable, who was one of 49 from his party to lose their seat, signalling the end of coalition politics in the UK, at least for now.
Former banker Javid was first elected back in 2010 and was only in the DCMS job for a year, with previous roles including Minister for Equalities in 2014, Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Economic Secretary from 2012 to 2013.
Since joining parliament as the MP for Bromsgrove in Worcestershire, he has voted moderately for more EU integration and reducing the rate of corporation tax, voted strongly for measures to reduce tax avoidance, and voted against increasing the top rate of tax. In his local area, Javid advocated for the installation of high-speed broadband for homes and businesses.
Javid has been tipped to reach the very top of the Conservative Party. He will face Labour’s Chuka Umunna in parliament, who has been reappointed as Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
Cameron’s Conservative leadership rival and Mayor of London Boris Johnson will also sit in the cabinet, having won London’s Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat at the general election, but will not hold a specific job until he leaves his mayoral post in 2016. This is the first time since the mayoral post was created in 2000 that a mayor has joined the national government.
Mr Johnson will take home a cool MP’s salary of £67,060, on top of his Mayor of London wage of £143,911, and will presumably be the busiest man in Britain.