Nicky Morgan replaces Jeremy Wright

Nicky Morgan

Nicky Morgan
Role: Culture secretary
Constituency: Loughborough
Replaces: Jeremy Wright

Biography: Sacked by Theresa May, possibly for criticising the then PM for spending nearly £1,000 on leather trousers, Morgan served on the front benches as both secretary of state for education and for women and equalities. She has been an MP since 2010. She voted against the introduction of same-sex marriage in 2013 but later changed her view. She is a former corporate lawyer who joined the Conservative party as a teenager and contested her first seat – unsuccessfully – in 2001.

What this means for construction: She has little experience of the industry, though she did do a stint on the Conservative Business, Innovation and Skills Committee and later worked for universities and science minister David Willetts. She has also worked in the Treasury. Her voting record is mostly typical for a Tory, although she has occasionally rebelled, for example voting for a wholly elected House of Lords. As secretary of state for culture, heritage, media and sport she will be ultimately in charge of listing decisions but her views on architecture are as yet unknown.