Kit Malthouse leaves role as education secretary
By Rachel Lawler
Kit Malthouse has left his role as education secretary as new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reshuffles the top team.
Malthouse has been replaced by Gillian Keegan, who has served as MP for Chichester since 2017 and as parliamentary under-secretary of state for apprenticeships and skills in from 2020-21 and parliamentary under-secretary of state for Africa since September 2022.
Keegan is the fifth education secretary to serve in the role this year after a turbulent few months at the Department for Education (DfE). Her predecessor Malthouse took over from James Cleverly who had only recently been appointed following the short tenure of Michelle Donelan earlier this summer.
"Difficult summer"
Malthouse tweeted: 鈥淎s I leave the DfE, I do so with profound gratitude to officials, my private office team, and brilliant advisors, who all worked so hard. I hope my successor can harness their commitment to the most important mission in Whitehall: the future and welfare of our children.
鈥淚 must also add my thanks to the team at the Cabinet Office who brought us through a difficult summer in good shape, and helped ready the country for an even more difficult winter.
鈥淎nd finally, a huge thank you to all the nursery workers, teachers, academics, staff, social workers and others who help bring our young people through childhood and set them on a path to success. Our time together was short, but you will hear more from me in the months to come.鈥
Early years priority
Commenting, Neil Leitch, CEO of the Alliance, said: "We welcome Gillian Keegan as the new education secretary and congratulate her on her new role.
"With six different education secretaries in post over the last 14 months, it鈥檚 clear that the education sector is in desperate need of some stability and continuity, and that establishing a clear sense of direction for education policy in this country must be a top priority for Ms Keegan in her new position.
"It is crucial, however, any such policy work recognises that education starts long before the school gates, and acknowledges the absolutely pivotal role that the early years sector plays in supporting long-term learning and development, alongside our primary, secondary, further and higher education colleagues.
"As such, we look forward to working closely with Ms Keegan to ensure that early education and care is treated with the respect it deserves and sits at the heart of her department鈥檚 work going forward."