Hinds and Griffith to shadow new ministers for Conservatives

The UK’s Conservatives have named Damian Hinds as shadow education secretary, with the MP returning to the brief that he covered in government.

Mr Hinds, who was education secretary under Theresa May from 2018 to 2019, takes on the shadow cabinet post after Gillian Keegan, who served as education secretary in Rishi Sunak’s defeated administration, lost her Chichester seat.

Meanwhile, Andrew Griffith, who had served as science minister from last November until the 4 July election, has been appointed shadow science secretary.

Michelle Donelan, the former science secretary, lost her Melksham and Devizes seat to the Liberal Democrats.

The appointments have been described as an interim shadow cabinet, after 12 members of Mr Sunak’s top team lost their seats.

Mr Sunak has said that he will step down after losing the election to Labour, and a new leader would be expected to appoint their own shadow cabinet.

Mr Hinds, the MP for East Hampshire, had been serving as a schools minister since November. He has also served as a prisons minister and a security minister.

As education secretary, Mr Hinds launched the Augar review of post-18 education funding and accused universities of trying to get “bums on seats” for “poor value” degrees.

Mr Griffith, the MP for Arundel and South Downs, had little opportunity to make an impact as science minister. He was previously the city minister.

chris.havergal@timeshighereducation.com