Kevin Foster leaves Government role after call with Rishi Sunak

Kevin Foster has stepped down from his role as transport minister.

Mr Foster posted a tweet to his Twitter account last night, in which he shared a letter to the Prime Minister. The letter states that he was disappointed not to be carrying on in a role he enjoyed, but agreed with the Prime Minister’s decision to bring a new team in to take the nation forward.

He notes that he ‘knows my good friend Mark Harper will be an excellent Secretary of State for Transport and will take forward a positive agenda for our railways.’ This may come as some comfort to many, who have noted concern over Harper’s lack of experience in this complex sector.  

Many faces in Westminster are changing, and Mr Foster is one of many popular ministers to change under the new Sunak Premiership. His tweet, which seems to be addressing his constituents in Torbay where he has been MP since May 2015, admits that he is sorry to be leaving government, but will still ‘be busy representing our bay from the backbenches in the House of Commons.’

Mr Foster has been a poplar transport minister, stepping into the role on 7 September 2022. He first served on the Public Accounts Committee and the Backbench Business Committee from 2015 to 2017, and has also been a parliamentary private secretary at the Department of Communities and Local Government (now the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities) and, latterly, the Cabinet Office.

Mr Foster was born in Plymouth and grew up in South Devon. Before entering Parliament, he trained in the legal profession, and was deputy leader of Coventry Council.

Mr Foster was appointed parliamentary under secretary of state (minister for future borders and immigration) on 14 February 2020.

He was previously appointed parliamentary under-secretary of state for Wales and assistant government whip in April 2019. He was also acting as minister for the constitution in the Cabinet Office until October 2019. He was appointed parliamentary under secretary of state for immigration at the Home Office on 16 December 2019.

It is not yet clear who will replace Mr Foster.

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