Gauke, the MP for South West Hertfordshire, had been at the Treasury since 2010 in various roles. First, he served as the Exchequer Secretary from 2010 to 2014, then he was the Financial Secretary until 2016 when he was promoted to Chief Secretary. Gauke has now been moved on to the Department for Work and Pensions, taking over from Damian Green.
The position of Chief Secretary is second only to the Chancellor Philip Hammond. In his time at the Treasury, Gauke oversaw the reform of tax rates under George Osborne, in particular the lowering of corporation tax from 26% in 2010 to 19% today. Gauke had largely been a respected operator within the tax community.
Before joining Parliament, Truss worked for Shell as a commercial manager and later worked for Cable & Wireless as economics director qualifying as a management accountant. She also served as deputy director of Reform in 2008 and later founded the Free Enterprise Group in 2012.
Although the Treasury is higher up the food chain than the Department for Justice, the move from Secretary of State to Chief Secretary is effectively a demotion for Truss, who was widely criticised for her handling of the High Court ruling on Article 50.
