Bassetlaw MP Brendan Clarke-Smith appointed new government role as he continues to support Boris Johnson

Bassetlaw MP Brendan Clarke-Smith said he is “honoured and truly humbled” after being appointed parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Department for Education.

He is now Bassetlaw’s first government minister since 1947.

The appointment, among others, was revealed on Friday (July 8) evening after more than 50 ministers resigned last week due to a loss of confidence in Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s leadership and called on him to step down.

Boris Johnson officially resigned as leader of the Conservative party on Thursday (July 7) after the Chris Pincher scandal appeared to be the final straw on the haystack for his party. He will stay on as Prime Minister until the party elects a new leader in the autumn.

Mr Clarke-Smith has been a firm supporter of Boris Johnson, and was of the 59 per cent of Conservative MPs who voted to keep him in power in a ballot of confidence in June.

Upon Boris Johnson’s resignation, Mr Clarke-Smith released a statement looking back at the Prime Minister’s ‘achievements’, including Brexit, the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccine, supporting Ukraine against the Russian invasion, and levelling-up the country.

Mr Clarke-Smith said: “Nobody does 100% of things perfectly all the time, but I believe the Prime Minister got the big calls right.

“I have supported the Prime Minister from the very start and he still has my full support now.

“...I believe he can feel immensely proud of what he has achieved, the way he has changed the destiny of this nation for the better and the enduring legacy he will leave us with.”