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Sajid Javid returns to government as health secretary

Sajid Javid returns to government as health secretary

FORMER chancellor Sajid Javid will replace Matt Hancock as the UK's health and social care secretary, Downing Street said on Saturday (26).

Javid resigned as chancellor early last year after he refused to fire his political advisers as demanded by Johnson.


The British Asian MP from Bromsgrove has previously held the so-called great offices of state - as home secretary and chancellor.

Javid, whose parents migrated from Pakistan, joins chancellor Rishi Sunak, home secretary Priti Patel and COP26 president Alok Sharma as Asians holding powerful portfolios in the UK government.

A former banker who became an MP in 2010, Javid was quickly promoted from economic and financial secretary to the Treasury to secretary for business, then culture and later, communities and local government.

Prior to his career in politics, Javid, who graduated from Exeter University, worked in business and finance. He is said to have been the youngest vice president at Chase Manhattan Bank, aged 25.

He later moved to Deutsche Bank in London to help build its business in emerging market countries.

One of five brothers (one of whom has passed away), Javid has often spoken of how he grew up in one of the roughest streets in Bristol. His father was a bus driver and his mum was a seamstress.

Javid and his wife Laura, who is English, are parents to four children.

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London celebrates 100 million free school meals

Each child has been provided 435 free lunches over the past two school years

london.gov.uk

London marks 100 million free school, mayor calls it ‘proud’ moment

Highlights

  • 100 million free meals delivered to state primary school children in just over two years.
  • Each child offered 435 free lunches, saving families approximately £500 annually.
  • Schools now receive additional £11.5 m yearly from government for disadvantaged pupils.
London has reached a historic milestone of 100 m free school meals served to state primary school children, funded by mayor Sadiq Khan since September 2023.

The mayor joined schoolchildren in east London to celebrate the achievement, which has seen every child in the capital's state primary schools offered a free healthy meal each day. Each child has been provided 435 free lunches over the past two school years, saving families around £1,500 over three years per child.

Sadiq said "I'm absolutely delighted that 100 million meals have now been provided to children across London's state primary schools. I know from personal experience what a difference these meals make, so to be able to ensure that hundreds of thousands of children are receiving them across London every single day brings huge personal pride."

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