Patel to be succeeded by Tugendhat as UK shadow foreign secretary

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Minister for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Kemi Badenoch, is slated to conduct a broader reshuffle of her front‑bench team after a series of high‑profile departures. The move follows the exit of several senior ministers, including the former Minister for Trade and the Minister for Science, who left the government under a mix of personal and political reasons. The departures have left a noticeable gap in the department’s leadership structure and have prompted calls for a re‑organisation of responsibilities.

Badenoch’s announced reshuffle is expected to redistribute key portfolios among remaining ministers and to bring in new faces to fill the vacated roles. While the government has not yet released a detailed list of appointments, early reports suggest that the Minister for Trade will be replaced by a senior back‑bencher with experience in commerce, and that the Science portfolio may be merged with the Energy portfolio to streamline policy coordination. The reshuffle is also likely to include adjustments to the department’s advisory committees and a review of its strategic priorities.

The reshuffle is scheduled to be announced in the coming days, with Badenoch expected to outline the new front‑bench lineup at a press conference. The re‑organisation aims to restore stability to the department’s leadership and to ensure continuity of policy implementation across business, energy, and industrial strategy sectors.