Cabinet reshuffle

Robin Walker: 9 facts about the new schools minister

Robin Walker has confirmed he is the new schools minister.

He replaces Nick Gibb who was sacked yesterday after serving at the Department for Education for around nine of the last 11 years.

Here’s what you need to know about Walker…

1. Walker, aged 43, was appointed as Northern Ireland Office minister in February 2020. He was previously a junior minister at the Northern Ireland office. From July 2016 to July 2019 he was a minister in the Department for Exiting the European Union.

2. He was elected Conservative MP for Worcester in May 2010.

3. Walker was educated at St Paul’s School, a private school in London and studied ancient and modern history at Balliol College, Oxford. 

4. He set up his own internet business upon leaving university and worked in financial services recruitment before joining the Finsbury Group in financial communications in 2003. He led the industrials team at Finsbury becoming partner in 2009. 

5. Walker previously served as a parliamentary private secretary to former education secretary Nicky Morgan.

6. In 2015, Walker was named a parliamentary beer champion. According to his website, this was due to his efforts to stand up for the great british pub, secure reforms to business rates and freeze beer duty.

7. His father was Peter Walker, also MP for Worcester and served in the cabinet under Edward Heath and Margaret Thatcher.

8. Walker is married to Charlotte Keenan, former chief executive of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, and is a keen supporter of the Worcester Warriors and Worcestershire County Cricket Club

9. As vice chairman of the f40 cross-party campaign, he helped to secure fairer school funding for the lowest-funded areas

Further reporting by James Carr.

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