William Hague steps aside as David Cameron reshuffles team ahead of 2015 poll
Women and Eurosceptics promoted, some surprise moves in cabinet shake-up ahead of 2015 poll
British Prime Minister David Cameron yesterday pushed through his biggest government shake-up since coming to power in 2010, promoting women and Eurosceptics to senior roles ahead of a national election in May next year.
In one surprise development, William Hague, Britain's most senior diplomat for the past four years, voluntarily stood down, allowing Cameron to appoint Philip Hammond, the defence minister and a prominent Eurosceptic, to the influential post.
In another, Michael Gove, a longstanding Cameron ally and one of his party's most prominent right-wing ideologues, was sacked as education secretary.
Women will now make up six of the new 23-person cabinet, compared with three of 22 before.
There is a balance between experience on the one hand and renewal
Hammond's appointment immediately stoked speculation that Cameron, the leader of the ruling Conservative party, was trying to give his part of the coalition government a more Eurosceptic flavour to please a vociferous wing of his own party and to counter an electoral threat from the anti-EU UK Independence Party, which won European elections in Britain in May.
The choice of Hammond sends a powerful signal to Britain's European allies. Last year, he said that if the European Union failed to change and failed to agree new terms for Britain's membership then he would rather it leave the bloc.
The reshuffle also saw Ken Clarke, the Conservative's government's most pro-EU member, sacked from his role as a minister without portfolio.
Cameron nominated Jonathan Hill, a peer, as Britain's next European commissioner. Hill, who has voted against deeper European integration in the past, had previously coordinated the government's business in the upper house of parliament.
Michael Fallon, formerly a junior energy minister and someone who has said his party should campaign for Britain to leave the EU if it doesn't get major reforms, was appointed the new defence secretary.
One of the biggest surprises for Britons was Cameron's decision to sack Gove, whose radical reforms to the education sector have provoked anger among teachers.
He will instead become the Conservative party's chief whip, a role that entails ensuring lawmakers vote in the way the party leadership wants.
Hague will assume a more junior role that will involve him coordinating the government's business in the lower house of parliament.
He said he would also step down as a member of parliament in May next year.
"There is a balance between experience on the one hand and renewal. Parties and governments need renewal and we are fortunate in our party to have some extremely talented people now coming to the fore so let's give them their opportunity," Hague said.
Cameron promoted a raft of women to senior posts to correct a perceived sex imbalance.
Nicky Morgan, minister for Women and Equalities, was appointed education secretary, while Liz Truss was appointed as secretary of state for environment, food and rural Affairs in the place of Owen Paterson.
The opposition Labour party criticised Cameron's reshuffle.
"In a desperate attempt to shore up his support within his own party, he undertakes a reshuffle which has seen centrists kicked out while right-wingers have been promoted," it said.
"This massacre of the moderates shows the extent of David Cameron's weakness."
