Justine Greening has been replaced as secretary of state for transport in a move widely seen as punishment for opposing further expansion at Heathrow.
She has been replaced at the Department for Transport by Patrick McLoughlin, a former Tory party chief whip.
[asset_ref id=”1827″] Patrick McLoughlin
McLoughlin is MP for Derbyshire Dales. He was elected MP for West Derbyshire in 1986 and was parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Department of Transport from 1989 to 1992, he was appointed chief whip in May 2010.
Greening’s opposition to a third runway at Heathrow was well known before her appointment as transport secretary.
[asset_ref id=”1489″] Justine Greening
On her web site, she said: “The new Government has announced that it has scrapped the last Government’s plans for the third runway at Heathrow, as promised before the election.
“This announcement is really fantastic news for us and will help protect our local quality of life.”
It became clear that the government was shifting its position on a third runway last week after Tory veteran Tim Yeo called on prime minister David Cameron to decide is he was ‘man or a mouse” over the issue.
Following that, on Sunday Chancellor George Osborne made it clear that a third runway was still an option.
Greening has been given a new role at the Department for International Development.
Theresa Villiers has also moved from the DfT with promotion to Northern Ireland secretary.
