Who is the new Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho - TV cooking show star and Sunak ally

In a huge promotion, Claire Coutinho has become the first member of the class of 2019 Tory MPs to join the Cabinet after Grant Shapps was appointed Secretary of Defense Claire Coutinho was promoted to Secretary of Energy after Grant Shapps was moved to the post of Secretary of Defense (

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Rishi Sunak's mini reshuffle brought a flurry of activity to Westminster this morning after a quiet summer break. Ahead of MPs' return to Parliament next week, the King has approved the appointment of Grant Shapps as Defense Secretary following the formal resignation of Ben Wallace.

That left his role as energy and net-zero emissions secretary vacant for Mr Sunak to slip in his longtime ally Claire Coutinho. This is a huge promotion for the lesser-known MP, who is a Sunak loyalist, and means she becomes the first member of the class of 2019 Tory MPs to join the Cabinet.

At 38, she's also now the youngest secretary of state in Mr Sunak's cabinet - and as energy secretary, she's about to step into the spotlight. This role has gained more and more attention in recent years as climate change increasingly dominates the news, from heat waves to wildfires. Ms Coutinho will also face infighting within the Tories, many of whom want to roll back their environmental commitments - including reaching net zero by 2050 - amid fears of a backlash at the polls.

Here we take a look at the life and career of Claire Coutinho, the new face around Mr. Sunak's Cabinet table.

Claire Coutinho was summoned to Downing Street this morning, where she received a huge promotion from her ally Rishi Sunak (

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From banker to contestant on a game show

After earning a degree in mathematics and philosophy at Oxford, Ms Coutinho worked for investment bank Merrill Lynch, accounting firm KPMG and as a special adviser to the Treasury. This involved working with Mr Sunak when he was Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

Before becoming an MP, Ms. Coutinho also worked for two years with Iain Duncan Smith's centre-right think tank, the Center for Social Justice, and another two years as program director for the Housing and Finance Institute industry group.