Minister for data John Whittingdale ousted in Cabinet reshuffle

John Whittingdale, previously minister for media and details at the Division for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), has fallen sufferer to key minister Boris Johnson’s Cupboard reshuffle.

Whittingdale mentioned from his Twitter account: “I am sorry to be stepping down as minister for media and knowledge and stating goodbye to a terrific team of ministers and officials. It has been a privilege to engage in a part in shaping the foreseeable future of United kingdom public service broadcasting and in reforming our info rules making use of our new Brexit independence.”

On 10 September, Whittingdale had tweeted about his delight in the National Details Tactic on its to start with anniversary. Steerage for the Nationwide Facts Strategy was originally published in July 2019, when Theresa Could was key minister.

The Countrywide Details Strategy Forum, of which Whittingdale was co-chair, was declared in May possibly 2021 as aspect of a government reaction to a consultation on the Countrywide Facts Strategy held in late 2020.

On 22 June, Whittingdale and Sue Daley, director of innovation and know-how at TechUK, co-chaired the very first Nationwide Details Method Discussion board virtual dialogue.

This reportedly convoked a “diverse team from across the UK’s data ecosystem, which includes business leaders, civil society leaders and data experts”. It permitted five workstreams for the Forum, masking these matters as “unlocking the power of data”, using details to reach web-zero carbon emissions, and “mapping stakeholder activity across the information ecosystem”.

In the meantime, Julia Lopez, who had had duty for electronic federal government at the Cupboard Business office, is joining DCMS as a minister of state, although her portfolio has still to be confirmed.

Johnson took away responsibility for governing administration use of data from DCMS and gave it to the Cabinet Place of work in July 2020, just as Parliament was packing its baggage for the summer time recess.

At a TechUK Constructing the Smarter State occasion in September 2020, Lopez, as parliamentary secretary to the Cabinet and the minister liable for the Governing administration Electronic Services (GDS) and Whitehall’s electronic, data and technology (DDaT) operate, spoke about that decision.

She mentioned civil company reform was crucial to defragmenting online authorities companies, and element of that reform was the new division of labour among the Cabinet Business office and DCMS – a “divide and conquer” tactic, she said. “Responsibility for authorities data now sits with GDS and the Cupboard Place of work, although DCMS will boost the digital overall economy a lot more greatly,” she added.

Caroline Dinenage, who was appointed minister of state for digital and society in DCMS on 13 February 2020 in an before reshuffle, has been sacked.

In the meantime, at top rated ministerial level, Nadine Dorries is getting over from Oliver Dowden as secretary of condition for digital, lifestyle, media and sport. Dowden is now minister without portfolio and co-chairman of the Conservative Get together.

In accordance to Institute for Governing administration affiliate Gavin Freeguard, Dorries is the tenth DCMS secretary of state in the previous 11 a long time.