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Jan. 8 (UPI) -- British Prime Minister Theresa May began shuffling her Cabinet on Monday. The expected moves come after a year of poor election results, resignations of key government officials and the slow pace of negotiations in Britain's exit from European Union.
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Justice Secretary David Lidlington succeeds Damian Green as Cabinet Office minister. Green will remain as first secretary of state, or de facto deputy prime minister, a position normally held by the Cabinet Office minister. There was no announcement regarding a new justice minister. Green resigned his ministry position in December after it was found that he lied about the discovery of pornography on his office computer in 2008.
Transport Secretary Brandon Lewis is the new Conservative Party chairman, replacing Patrick McLoughlin, although a party Twitter statement, since removed, announced that Chris Grayling, previous transport secretary, would assume the post.
May's office confirmed that James Brokenshire resigned as secretary for Northern Ireland, citing health reasons.
Cabinet vice chairmen Chris Skidmore, Andrew Jones and Marcus Jones were removed from the government and will take volunteer positions within the Conservative Party.
About one-quarter of the government's top positions are expected to have new appointments, the London Evening Standard reported. The topmost government positions, including those of Chancellor Phillip Hammond, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Brexit Secretary David Davis are not expected to change.
