Nick Hurd, the charity sector’s longest-serving minister, has stepped down from the role as part of David Cameron’s most radical reshuffle since he became Prime Minister.
Another key move that will affect the voluntary sector is the resignation of Nicky Morgan as Economic Secretary to the Treasury to become Education Secretary, succeeding Michael Gove who has become Commons Chief Whip.
Priti Patel has been appointed as Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, Penny Mordaunt has been appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities, and David Gauke has been appointed Financial Secretary to the Treasury.
Hurd tweeted the news of his departure at 7.30pm last night just as announcements had begun trickling out from Westminster about ministers moving posts. He wrote three tweets in succession:
“Am standing down having been given by DC the rare opportunity to do six years in a wonderful brief. Very proud of what we achieved.”
Then: “Thanks to so many friends and critics in our brilliant voluntary sector. You have often driven me nuts but my respect and love is undimmed.”
And finally: “Final thanks to an outstanding team at Cabinet Office. Best team I have ever worked with.”
Just a couple of hours earlier, Hurd had appeared as a witness before a Public Administration Select Committee hearing on quangos, but gave no indication that it would be his last official appearance in the role.
Hurd’s constituency, Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner, is directly in the path of the new HS2 rail line and he has been lobbying fiercely for changes to some of the plans.
While in opposition, Hurd served as Opposition Whip and a member of the shadow teams for justice, communities and local government, before being appointed shadow minister for charity, social enterprise and volunteering in October 2008.
He became the first minister for civil society when the Coalition took office and updated the Office of the Third Sector to the Office for Civil Society. In July 2013 he was also handed responsibility for youth policy.
Hurd has been a generally popular figure within the sector, not least because he was the only one of a string of ministers to stay in the post longer than two years, and tributes poured in from senior sector figures when the news was announced. View our live reactions blog here.
