Kemi Badenoch has removed Dame Priti Patel as shadow foreign secretary as she starts a major reshuffle of her top team.
Dame Priti confirmed recent speculation that she was to lose the crucial role with a statement on Sunday night that she had been appointed international secretary responsible for coordinating with other centre right parties around the globe.
reported that she will replaced by former security minister and leadership contender Tom Tugendhat who is understood be favoured by Ms Badenoch because he is a strong supporter of Israel and critic of China. Mr Tugendhat was also former chair of the foreign affairs committee from 2017 to 2022.
Speculation had been mounting over the futures Dame Priti along with another leading figure shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride.
The Tory leader has been forced into an overhaul of her top team following the decision by Sir James Cleverly to run for London mayor and quit as shadow housing secretary.
Her close ally Julia Lopez is also shadowing a department which no longer exists after the Department for Science Innovation and Technology was scrapped by Andy Burnham, also prompting the need for a change.
Meanwhile, energy secretary Claire Coutinho is due to go on maternity leave and shadow solicitor general Helen Grant is stepping down at the next election.
There is widespread belief that Ms Badenoch – who once insisted she would not reshuffle her top team – will now take the opportunity to have an even bigger overhaul to take the party to the next election.
A number of senior figures have fallen out of favour and there are complaints that the party is still not landing enough blows in key areas. It is expected she will make the changes on Monday before parliament returns from the summer recess.
Ahead of the changes, one party source said: “Priti has become a fringe figure and is not really properly part of the team. And there is a feeling Kemi needs to have someone more robust running Treasury policy.”
Others have warned it would be a mistake to move Sir Mel, with one Tory MP saying he is “a perfect foil for Kemi and has actually done a pretty good job”.
In a statement confirming her move to the newly created international secretary role, Dame Priti said: “ I will be taking on a new Conservative Party International role to strengthen diplomatic links with international sister parties and centre right movements around the world.”
Dame Priti had been the focus of attacks from Reform and Labour because she was home secretary during the so-called “Boriswave”, when immigration increased dramatically in the aftermath of Brexit.
An ally of Dame Priti said: “Why would Kemi want to lose someone with serious experience in government?”
If Sir Mel is moved, the favourite to replace him is shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith.
Scottish MP Andrew Bowie is expected to become shadow energy secretary after he led the charge on reopening drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea.
He is likely to be replaced as shadow Scottish secretary by Harriet Cross, who is seen as a rising star.
Other names expected to be under consideration are right-winger Katie Lam, who has been described as a potential future leader, with some even suggesting she should be made shadow home secretary.
Another right-winger, Jack Rankin, is also expected to land a shadow cabinet role.
Keighley and Ilkley MP Robbie Moore is being named as someone who could take over shadowing the Department for the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs.
One source said: “Robbie has done a lot of work on the inheritance tax debacle with Labour on family farms. He is a farmer and knows the brief inside out.”
Other areas to look out for are shadow welfare secretary currently held by Helen Whately and shadow health held by Stuart Andrew.
One source said: “Welfare is going to continue to be a big area of weakness for Labour because they need to cut the benefits bill but their MPs oppose any reductions.”
Another noted: “We have still not made any serious challenge to Labour on health even though they are failing on a number of fronts.”