Boris Johnson makes his way into David Cameron’s Cabinet as a number of women MPs have been given top roles in the final line-up.
Mr Cameron announced Mr Johnson, who was elected MP for Uxbridge last week, would be attending Cabinet but he does not have a ministerial role so he can devote his attention to his final year as Mayor of London reports Sky News.
Former banker and previous Culture Secretary Sajid Javid has been given the role of Business Secretary, a role vacated by Liberal Democrat Vince Cable, who held the post for five years and lost his Twickenham seat.
Mr Javid is replaced as Culture Secretary by John Whittingdale, who will deal with the renewal of the BBC charter, which covers how the organisation is funded.
In October, Mr Whittingdale said the licence fee was “worse than the Poll Tax” and said it was “unsustainable over 20 to 50 years”.
A number of women MPs were rewarded with greater roles as the Prime Minister moved towards his target that would see a third of the cabinet made up of women.
The first was Amber Rudd, who has been made Secretary for Energy and Climate Change – a role previously held by Liberal Democrat Ed Davey, who lost his seat last week.
Priti Patel, has been given the role Employment Minister, the role that had been held by the Conservative MP Esther McVey, who lost her seat last week. Like Ms McVey, Ms Patel will attend Cabinet.
Mr Johnson’s spokesman said: “The mayor has accepted an invitation from the Prime Minister to attend political cabinet.
“This is not a ministerial appointment. He won’t be attending full Cabinet and won’t be running any department.
“The mayor has always been clear, he has to fulfil his mandate running London first, and that’s exactly what he will be doing until his term ends in May 2016.”