The MP for Wantage and Didcot, David Johnston OBE has been appointed as the new parliamentary under-secretary of state for education to replace Claire Coutinho as part of the Prime Minister’s mini reshuffle today.
He is the eighth minister with responsibility for childcare in the last five years.
Until this morning, Claire Coutinho MP held the role of Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing – she has been moved to Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero to replace Grant Shapps who is the new Defence Secretary.
Mr Johnstonwas elected in 2019 and has a background in social mobility, having been Chief Executive of the Social Mobility Foundation and was a member of the Social Mobility Commission which has recently reported on the early years workforce. He served on the Education Select Committee from 2020 to 2021 and was briefly Parliamentary Private Secretary at the Department for Education in 2021-22.
