David Lidington, longstanding former Europe minister and leader of the Commons since last July, is the new lord chancellor and justice secretary.
Predecessor Liz Truss has been made chief secretary to The Treasury, a move widely seen as a demotion because she will no longer be a full member of the Cabinet. Truss was fiercely criticised by lawyers over her seemingly lacklustre defence of the judiciary amid fierce press attacks over the Article 50 case.
The appointments were announced this afternoon as PM Theresa May completed her post-Election cabinet reshuffle.
Like his three immediate predecessors, Lidington is not a qualified lawyer. A history graduate, Lidington took as the subject of his PhD thesis ’the enforcement of the penal statutes at the court of the Exchequer c.1558-c.1576’.
Educated at the public school Haberdashers’ Aske’s and Cambridge University, Lidington was elected MP for Aylesbury in 1992. He was Europe minister from 2010 until July 2016, in which post he fiercely opposed Brexit. He was appointed leader of the Commons and lord president of the Council last July.
Outside politics, Lidington worked for BP and Rio Tinto – Zinc Corporation before spending three years as special advisor to Douglas Hurd in the Home Office and Foreign Office.
While Lidington may be a confirmed Remainer, the website TheyWorkForYou shows that he has generally voted against laws to promote equality and human rights. In May last year he voted in favour of repealing the Human Rights Act 1998. He has also consistently voted against allowing terminally ill people to be given assistance to end their life.
Lidington has also consistently voted in favour of restricting the scope of legal aid, and for allowing national security sensitive evidence to be put before courts in secret sessions.
He has always voted when present in favour of limits on success fees paid to lawyers in no-win no fee cases - perhaps suggesting he will forge ahead with the personal injury reforms contained in the prisons and courts legislation aborted by the General Election.
His voting record also shows support for stronger enforcement of immigration rules and mass surveillance of people’s communications and activities.
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