Nadine Dorries is to take over from Oliver Dowden as UK secretary of state for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. She is the 10th culture secretary in 10 years.
Dowden has moved to minister without portfolio at the Cabinet Office.
Dorries has published a number of novels based on her upbringing in 1960’s Liverpool, which have sold more than 100,000 copies.
In 2012, she appeared as a contestant on ITV’s I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here without previously getting permission from Conservative party bosses. She had the whip withdrawn for six months before it was restored.
Among the issues she will have to deal with will be the government’s plan to privatise Channel 4, the future of the BBC, and the long drawn out appointment of a new Ofcom chair.
John Whittingdale is also leaving his post as minister for media and data. His removal is something of a surprise as he was one of the key figures in the move to privatise Channel 4.
