Boris Johnson is planning to bring more women into his cabinet in a July reboot aimed at shoring up his position at Tory leader.
After weeks mired in sleaze the Prime Minister believes he needs new brooms to spruce up his Government’s increasingly tarnished image.
Up for promotion are social care minister Helen Whately, public health boss Jo Churchill, digital minister Caroline Dinenage and former sports minister Tracey Crouch – if she wants the job.
Ms Crouch previously turned down Mr Johnson’s offer of a seat at the cabinet table. And she has recently recovered from breast cancer.
But the PM has such faith in her he handed her the hot potato of reforming football after the European Super League fiasco.
The PM knows he needs to get a new team in place to stave off any potential leadership challenge.
A Tory insider said: “There’s a faint smell of blood in the air. Some of the younger firebrands fancy a tilt at the leadership. But wiser heads are biding their time to wait and see what happens next.”
Tipped for the chop are Justice Secretary Robert Buckland, Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey and Ann-Marie Trevelyan.
Ms Trevelyan became energy minister as a consolation prize for having her International Development Department merged with the Foreign Office last year.
The big beasts of the Cabinet are expected to stay in place.
Which means Priti Patel carries on as Home Secretary, Rishi Sunak continues as Chancellor and Dominic Raab remains Foreign Secretary.
Matt Hancock keeps his job as Health Secretary after the NHS’s successful vaccine rollout.
Mr Johnson had decided against any reshuffle until Covid is beaten and Britain is open for business again which is why July is pencilled in.
