Prime Minister Theresa May will be able to reform university tuition fees after removing Justine Greening as Education secretary during this week’s reshuffle.
Ms Greening was the highest profile casualty of the reshuffle after she resigned from cabinet instead of taking the offer of a sideways move from Education to the Department of Work and Pensions.
The PM’s former Chief of Staff Nick Timothy claimed Ms Greening was blocking moves to reform university fees.
Justine Greening, pictured yesterday morning out for a jog less than 24 hours after she left the cabinet because Theresa May wanted to shift her from her post as Education Secretary
Theresa May spent two-and-a-half hours in negotiations with Ms Greening in an bid to convince her to move to the Department of Work and Pensions from Education
The PM also moved the universities minister Jo Johnson, pictured, who, according to Mrs May’s former chief of staff Nick Timothy, was trying to block education reforms
Ms Greening resigned from cabinet on Monday following a two-and-a-half hour meeting with Mrs May where she resisted a sideways move to the department of work and pensions.
Writing in the Telegraph, he said he welcomed Ms Greening’s removal from cabinet. Her deputy Jo Johnson, the former universities minister, was also moved from education.
Mr Timothy, who was forced to resign from Number 10 following last year’s failed election campaign, claimed Ms Greening made life hard for civil servants in her department.
Ms Greening was replaced by Damian Hinds, the Oxford-educated MP for East Hampshire.
Mr Timothy wrote: ‘Greening blocked proposals to reduce tuition fees and refused to hold a proper review of tertiary education… Hinds must be brave enough to do just that, to ensure universities are better, fees are lower, and young people get the technical or academic education that suits them.
Ms Greening was replaced by the Oxford-educated Damian Hinds, pictured
Nick Timothy, pictured here with Fiona Hill, were both sacked as senior advisers to the Prime Minister in the aftermath of Theresa May’s disastrous election campaign
‘He is already touted as a potential Prime Minister: if he gets this right, he will be a convincing candidate.’
Despite his close relationship with Mrs May, Mr Timothy was less than impressed by the extent of the reshuffle. He denied lobbying for Ms Greening’s sacking but described Mr Hinds’ promotion as ‘the bright point in an otherwise limited set of changes.’
During PMQ’s yesterday, Ms Greening reappeared on the Tory backbenches sitting next to anti-Brexit rebel Dominic Grieve.