Theresa May’s cabinet reshuffle will see her seek to bring in new faces to her ministerial team in a bid to inject ‘youth, energy and fresh thinking’.
Government source said the Prime Minister was not intending to move any of the ‘big four’ – Chancellor Philip Hammond, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Home Secretary Amber Rudd or Brexit Secretary David Davis.
But Party Chairman Sir Patrick McLoughlin is widely expected to be sacked and it was reported Education Secretary Justine Greening was facing demotion.
Former NHS nurse Anne Milton has been tipped to take over from Jeremy Hunt as Health Secretary
Braintree MP James Cleverly is among those widely tipped for promotion in Theresa May’s reshuffle
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has been fighting a fierce rearguard action against demotion and Leader of the House Andrea Leadsom is also vulnerable,
Those tipped for advancement include former nurse Anne Milton, who the Mirror reported, is tipped to take over from Jeremy Hunt as Heath Secretary with Braintree MP James Cleverly and Esher MP Dominic Raab also earmarked for advancement.
Skills minister Anne Milton, 62, who worked on NHS wards for 25 years before becoming an MP in 2005.
The ministerial reshuffle, which Mrs May is expected to start tomorrow, is likely to hand eye-catching promotions to women and MPs from non-traditional backgrounds as the Prime Minister tries to build a Government ‘more in the image of the country’.
Conservative Party chairman Sir Patrick McLoughlin is widely expected to be sacked
Education Secretary Justine Greening (pictured) is at risk of a demotion as is Leader of the House Andrea Leadsom
The source said: ‘Theresa understands that, when voters look at her Government, they see a lot of stale, male and pale Ministers who are the wrong side of 50. She will be promoting more women and those from non-white backgrounds, and there will be more of an emphasis on youth.’
Mrs May has deliberated for months over whether to hold a reshuffle.
Last night, the Prime Minister was urged to re-energise her party by allowing members to directly elect the chairman.
Brexit Secretary David Davis is one of the ‘big four’ ministers who is set to keep their jobs
The Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is not moving from his post in the reshuffle
According to the Sunday Telegraph, Ms Greening was said to be ‘fighting for her job’ and would resist any attempts to reshuffle her, posting a series of tweets highlighting her record as Education Secretary.
Private polling has revealed that Tories poor showing in last year’s general election was down to concerns among voters about education, the paper reported, and a new minister would send the message the Conservatives are the party of education.
Grant Shapps, who was party chairman under David Cameron, told The Mail on Sunday: ‘We are the only party that does not directly elect their party chairman or president. Doing so would provide our members with a compelling reason to belong.’
He added: ‘A combination of reasonable mid-Brexit negotiations, lack of obvious alternative and May’s dogged determination has given this Prime Minister the opportunity to make a fresh start in 2018.
‘Regardless of who leads us into the next Election, it is very much the duty of today’s leader to pay attention to fixing our rusty party machine.’
Mrs May will confirm today that she is abandoning plans to give MPs a vote on bringing back foxhunting after it proved to be a vote-loser at the General Election.