James Cleverly, Greg Clark and Kit Malthouse promoted in Boris Johnson’s last gasp Cabinet reshuffle

Boris Johnson has begun appointing new Cabinet ministers despite planning to announce his resignation as Prime Minister within hours.

After nearly 50 Cabinet and junior ministers and ministerial aides quit in a successful bid to oust Mr Johnson, the Government is struggling to function with parliamentary business cancelled due to a lack of personnel.

The Prime Minister, as part of a controversial bid to remain in office until October when a new Tory leader will take over, will therefore shortly make new appointments to his ministerial team as part of his efforts to keep his administration running, a No 10 official said.

Greg Clark has been appointed as Levelling Up Secretary, replacing Michael Gove who was sacked by Mr Johnson on Wednesday night.

Friends said he accepted the job in the interests of “stability”, while i understands Mr Johnson told Mr Clark that he was appointing him because he wanted to reach out to different wings of the party.

Kit Malthouse is promoted from the Home Office to become Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, the most senior minister in the Cabinet Office after the Prime Minister.

James Cleverly was meanwhile promoted from the Foreign Office to Education Secretary.

It came as a 2019 Tory MP suggested some of those who quit would be willing to return to the Government after Mr Johnson announced his resignation to serve as “interim ministers” until a new leader is in place.

Chris Philip, who quit as technology minister, told Sky News he’d be “happy to serve” under an interim Government until October, when a new leader would be announced at Tory Party conference.

“If I was asked to help out with getting an Online Safety Bill through Parliament I’d be willing to help out in whatever way I could.”

But another said: “He needs to go now, otherwise the toxicity will continue. He will continue to damage parliament, damage democracy and damage the Conservative brand.”

Mr Clark has accepted a Cabinet job from Boris Johnson in the interests of “stability and continuity” so that the Government can function, i understands.

The MP, who served in the Cabinet under David Cameron and Theresa May, replaces Mr Gove who was branded a “snake” by a No 10 source as Mr Johnosn sacked him.

A friend of Mr Clark said: “We need to have some stability over the next few months. He sees it as a short service commission until a new Prime Minister is in place. He thinks it is important that we have stability and continuity in government.”

Mr Clark has done the job before, when it was Communities and Local Government Secretary, under Mr Cameron. The friend did not comment on whether the MP for Tunbridge Wells believes there should be a caretaker PM.