ALL eyes are on the new Housing Secretary Michael Gove in south Cumbria as MPs react to Boris Johnson reshaping his Cabinet this week.

Michael Gove succeeded a sacked Robert Jenrick as Housing Secretary and was entrusted with a further key position in the post-coronavirus agenda by taking responsibility for "levelling up".

Simon Fell, MP for Barrow, said: "I think this move shows just how crucial levelling up is to the government's agenda.

"MHCLG is a crucial department for us in Cumbria - with local government reform ongoing and multiple funding bids into the department, it's a good sign that a Minister who is very good at getting a grip of a department is in post."

In a drastic reshuffle on Wednesday, Gavin Williamson was fired as education secretary following his handling of the exams fiasco during the coronavirus crisis, while Robert Buckland lost his job as justice secretary.

Mr Buckland was replaced by Dominic Raab, who was demoted from foreign secretary following widespread criticism of his handling of the Afghanistan crisis, during which he was on holiday in Crete while Kabul was falling to the Taliban.

Liz Truss succeeded him as Foreign Secretary, meaning two of the four great offices of state are currently held by women, with Priti Patel remaining Home Secretary.

MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale Tim Farron said: "There’s always a lot of noise around cabinet reshuffles. However what truly matters is not the personality of the ministers, but the policies that they enact.

“As the new Housing Secretary, Michael Gove should be judged in Cumbria on whether he takes the action needed to protect our local communities from excessive second home ownership and also to invest in the new affordable homes our area badly need so that local families can have a home of their own.”