Lynne Featherstone, the Lib Dem MP and international development minister, is to replace Norman Baker at the Home Office as crime prevention minister. Baker announced his resignation this morning, criticising Theresa May for treating her coalition colleagues like “a cuckoo in the nest”.
Featherstone, who has worked before at the Home Office, as a junior minister in 2010-12, commented:
I am very happy to be returning to the Home Office. I am very proud of what I was able to achieve in my previous role there, not least introducing equal marriage, ending the fingerprinting of children and banning wheel clamping on private land.
I am also looking forward to continuing my work tackling violence against women and girls and on ending FGM at home and abroad. I have always had a very constructive relationship with Theresa May and I look forward to working with her again.
Insiders report that Featherstone did not enjoy the Home Office in her time there as much as her statement today suggests, preferring Justine Greening’s leadership at Dfid. However, she has not been thought of as a particularly impressive minister at the latter department, as she is perceived not to have spoken up a great deal about her brief – although this could be due to coalition relations there being far smoother than under Theresa May.
She will be replaced at Dfid by Baroness Northover as parliamentary under secretary. Nick Clegg has done a little shuffle round of his team, the details of which are here.
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