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(CNS): After a ministerial reshuffle by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office appears to have undergone an unofficial merger with the Department for International Development, in which the roles of all junior FCO and DfID ministers now overlap. As a result Baroness Sugg has taken over the UK Overseas Territories brief from Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon. He remains at the FCO, where he is the longest serving minister, but will take on additional DfID roles.
Elizabeth Grace Sugg CBE, who was previously under secretary of state at the DfID until the reshuffle, became a Tory life peer in 2016. In her new role she is the minister with responsibility for the UKOTs and sustainable development. Baroness Sugg was formerly the government whip from June 2017 to July 2019 and under secretary of state for transport from October 2017 to April 2019. She also served as the director of operations and campaigns in Downing Street under David Cameron when he was PM.
It has not yet been confirmed that the new Conservative government intends to formally merge the FCO and DfID but the British press has reported that a full merger is expected before the end of this year, driven by Johnson’s desire to link aid to trade.