Three Black Country MPs handed government roles after staying loyal to Boris Johnson
Three Black Country MPs who stayed loyal to Boris Johnson have been given government roles.
Wolverhampton South West MP Stuart Anderson and Stourbridge MP Suzanne Webb will serve as assistant whips, Downing Street has announced.
Halesowen & Rowley Regis MP James Morris has been appointed as a minister in the Department for Health.
Meanwhile, West Bromwich West MP Shaun Bailey – who announced he had withdrawn his support for Mr Johnson on Wednesday – has been appointed as a parliamentary private secretary in the Cabinet Office.
His remit will be to support Jacob Rees-Mogg on Brexit opportunities.
Following his resignation on Thursday, Mr Johnson has pieced together a new Cabinet that will stay in place until a new Tory leader is elected.
Mr Anderson, who is taking up his first government position, said: "I am honoured and humbled to be appointed as assistant whip to serve in Her Majesty's Government.
"I look forward to working with my new colleagues in the role."
Ms Webb, who moves over from the Ministry of Defence where she served as PPS to Ben Wallace, said: "I am absolutely thrilled to be appointed as an assistant government whip and serve the government in this way.
"It is a great opportunity to be part of the legislative programme going forward."
She said it was "an honour and a privilege" to have served at the MoD, and added: "I will very much miss being part of such a fantastic team, a team that has kept this country safe from Putin and led from the front with integrity.
"My focus, as always, will of course also remain firmly on Stourbridge, ensuring it receives the investment it deserves.
"I look forward to the autumn when we hear if our Levelling Up bid has been successful."
Mr Bailey said: "It's vital we keep the Government going during this period.
"Whilst it's not a particularly big role in any way, I still want to play my small part in keeping things going, particularly on Brexit!"
The new Conservative leader is expected to be in place by the party's conference in Birmingham in October.
Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced his candidacy, having been the first high profile figure to put the knife into Mr Johnson when he resigned on Tuesday.
Backbencher Tom Tugendhat and Attorney General Suella Braverman have also announced they plan to stand.
A timetable for the leadership race is expected to be confirmed next week.
