Claire Perry appointed COP26 President in major Cabinet reshuffle

Former Energy and Clean Growth Minister appointed COP26 President, as Greg Clark leaves BEIS and and Michael Gove exits Defra

Claire Perry has been appointed COP26 President, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson moved swiftly to start preparations for next year's critical UN climate summit, which the UK will co-host with Italy.

The move formed part of a sweeping Cabinet reshuffle as Johnson sacked a host of senior Cabinet Ministers and a number of other high profile figures resigned.

Greg Clark has left his role as Business Secretary to be replaced by Andrea Leadsom, who will now take charge of the UK's decarbonisation strategy.

Leadsom has previously served as both Environment Secretary and Energy Minister. She has attracted criticism from environmental campaigners in the past, having opposed onshore wind farm expansion and voiced support for fracking. However, she more recently said that if she became Prime Minister she would declare a "climate emergency" and set up a Cabinet sub-committee to deliver the the UK's net zero target.

Meanwhile Michael Gove has been moved from his role as Environment Secretary after being appointed Chancellor of the Duchy at the Cabinet Office. Theresa Villiers is to replace Gove in a return to Cabinet for the former Northern Ireland Secretary. 

And in an eye-catching move Perry has relinquished her role as Energy and Clean Growth Minister at BEIS, but has agreed to serve as COP26 President.

Perry, who recently took a leave of absence from BEIS, confirmed the decision to switch roles on Twitter this evening.

1. Delighted to accept new PM's offer to become COP26 President working closely with him but in order to do the job properly I suggested that I relinquish the broader Clean Growth and Energy portfolio and he has agreed.

— Claire Perry (@claireperrymp) July 24, 2019

The COP Presidency is seen as a vital diplomatic role, tasked with shepherding countries towards agreement at the notoriously fractious UN climate negotiations.

It will be a particularly high pressure post for COP26, which the UK is set to co-host and is seen as a crunch test of whether the consensus reached at the Paris Agreement in 2015 will hold. The treaty is slated to come into full effect at the Summit and all countries will be under intense pressure to strengthen their national climate action plans ahead of the event. It is scheduled to take place within weeks of the 2020 US Presidential election, which is likely to exacerbate Amercian political divisions over climate change.

Former head of the UN climate secretariat and architect of the Paris Agreement, Christiana Figueres, said she was "thrilled" at the news of Perry's appointment.

Clark, meanwhile, confirmed he was leaving the role at BEIS which he has held since Theresa May became Prime Minister in 2016, saying it had been an "honour" to head up the department. 

"I warmly congratulate Boris Johnson on becoming Prime Minister. He is right to appoint a new team for a new premiership and I wish him and them well for the vital work ahead," he said. 

Elsewhere, Chris Grayling will cease to lead the Department for Transport, after he reportedly declined Johnson's offer to remain in the Cabinet. He is to be replaced by former Conservative Party Chairman Grant Shapps.

Sajid Javid has been appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer, leaving his role as Home Secretary, which has gone to Priti Patel, a former International Development Secretary. Dominic Raab has been appointed Foreign Secretary, replacing Johnson's leadership rival Jeremy Hunt.

Stephen Barclay will retain the crucial role of Brexit Secretary, and Liz Truss, a former Environment Secretary, will lead the Department for International Trade. Alok Sharma has been appointed as Internatinal Development Secretary and will be tasked with building on recent commitments to mobilise more funding for overseas climate-related projects.

Johnson has completed a major clear out of ministers who served in Cabinet under his predecessor Theresa May, as he attempts to signal a shift in strategy ahead of the looming Brexit deadline and works to deliver on his promise to ensure the UK leaves the EU by October 31.

Further appointments are expected to be made throughout the evening and tomorrow.

Many of the new appointees will face major green policy decisions across the Business, Transport, Environment, and Housing briefs as the Johnson government comes under intense pressure to beef up its climate strategy and deliver a more robust 'Green Brexit' plan.

Perry will likely call on Ministers from across government to ensure the UK has the resources and track record in place to deliver a successful COP summit. She will also be expected to work closely with Raab at the Foreign Office to begin to lay the diplomatic ground work for the conference.

Meanwhile, Villiers will face a bulging in-tray at Defra dominated by the need to shepherd the wide-ranging Environment Bill through Parliament and prepare for major post-Brexit agricultural subsidy reforms.

Leadsom will face similarly complex policy challenges, after the Committee on Climate Change warned the UK is off track to meet its emissions targets and BEIS launched a raft of consultations on the government's imminent Energy White Paper.

Perry's appointment as COP26 President will be seen as something of a surprise, given in the past she has been known for being fiercely critical of Johnson. It is unclear if her new position will see Perry continue to attend Cabinet. However, the early confirmation of a Summit President with a track record of working on climate issues could also be interpreted as evidence of the new administration's willingness to prioritise the high profile meeting. 

Johnson has signalled that he supports the UK's new net zero emission target and talked up the UK's clean tech credentials during the leadership campaign, although he made little mention of climate issues in his first two speeches since his appointment was announced. 

However, as part of a lengthy list of domestic priorities in his first address as Prime Minister this afternoon, he praised the UK for "leading the world in battery technology that will help cut CO2, tackle climate change, and create green jobs for the next generation".

His meeting with the Queen to confirm his appointment as Prime Minister was partially overshadowed by a Greenpeace protest that attempted to block Johnson's car on the way to Buckingham Palace and present him with a climate emergency manifesto.