Grant Shapps given temporary role in Foreign Office

by Stephen Oryszczuk

Former Tory party chairman Grant Shapps has been given a temporary ministerial portfolio at the Foreign Office.

Shapps, a former president of Jewish youth organisation BBYO, was previously co-chair of the party and led strategy for the last general election campaign.

Shapps was given the lesser role of Minister of State for International Development after the poll. However, in a show of faith, Prime Minister David Cameron gave Shapps the extra ministerial portfolio this week, after parliamentary under-secretary of state for foreign and commonwealth affairs, James Duddridge, sought time off for health reasons.

Shapps, the Welwyn Hatfield MP, tweeted that he was “honoured” to take on Duddridge’s duties.