i can confirm that james brokenshire what more can you tell us? be speculation that the failure to get talks up and running to get the power—sharing silly—mac stormont —— at stormont up and running, maybe there was pressure on him. i'm told he has resigned on health grounds. but does open upa resigned on health grounds. but does open up a position for misses may to bring someone in, maybe to try and inject fresh energy and ideas, fresh impetus to try and get the devolved power—sharing is that up and running, because it has been in limbo for months and months, with northern ireland in effect being run by civil servants. so that is one replacement theresa may will have to find someone to bring in. james brokenshire, someone she had worked with at the home office, a trusted colleague, someone she had faith in and he was loyal to her. so to that extent, a loss for her, to lose someone extent, a loss for her, to lose someone who has always been a close ally. we do not know what the health grounds are quite clearly james brokenshire believes they are se

james brokenshire explaining why he has decided to stand down.itical editor, norman smith, is in westminster. we have confirmation of two changes so far, any more? there has been a couple of developments in the last few. firstly, david livingstone, the justice secretary, walked up into number ten, justice secretary, walked up into numberten, i justice secretary, walked up into number ten, i think the assumption was that he perhaps was going to get damien green's old boasts —— post as press secretary. attending numerous cabinet subcommittees, just to check up cabinet subcommittees, just to check up on what mrs may's cabinet collea g u es up on what mrs may's cabinet colleagues are too. but then, big surprise, amber rudd rolled up, the sole —— the home secretary. it is a cu rve ball sole —— the home secretary. it is a curveball because the assumption was that none of the big beasts were going to be moved, namely boris johnson, philip hammond and amber rudd would be staying where were. so, is it possibly the case that amber rudd might be given the p

process that is the effort to avoid a return to the electoral will stop it was interesting, in james brokenshiree been speaking about the need for greater intervention by westminster in the affairs of northern ireland. we have seen a budget passed at westminster, legislation for cover —— authorities to raise rates bills. let's talk about impact. what is the difference when civil servers are running things instead of elected politicians? tell the audience about the report. the reporters on the last major issues the executive had to deal with before it fell a year ago. it is a major report into health care which said there had to be the reform programme. it said if the health service was not a reformed the amount of money needed to run the nhs would amount to 90% of stormont‘s budget in ten years' time. the department of health have been working on that, in absence of a health minister means they have cut sign. that is one of example. the line of politicians seem to be hardening rather than suggesting compromise at this point. it is and is becoming any more emollient. you have sinn fein saying the

the reshuffle began with the resignation of the northern ireland secretary james brokenshire.tion of the northern ireland secretaryjames brokenshire. he has chosen to leave the cabinet because of health issue, he has been in the job since theresa may became prime minister. in 2016. 36 my intent is to get on with surgery, get on with recovery and get back to my duties as mp and back to front line political duties as well. other cabinet ministers like the work and pension secretary david gauke spent the morning watching their phones, waiting to learn their fate. until you their phones, waiting to learn their fate. untilyou are properly contacted, you carry on as normal, you carry on doing yourjob. so you haven't been given a steer you are safe. i haven't. last year it was bruising for the party after the toried fail to win the snap election she kaled. the chairman cop add lot of the blame and this morning he stepped down from his post, the first to leave downing street after meeting the prime minister. a shake—up of the conservative party is par of today ease reshuffle. somethin

there will be a new northern ireland secretary, after james brokenshire resigned from the cabinet forte the party? she will hope so. after the tories‘ botched election last year, the question is, who will she choose to chop, rejig and remove in her team? this morning the health secretary, jeremy hunt, was swerving speculation he might be on the move. do you expect to be out of the cabinet? so was the education secretary, justine greening. she can't be sure of having a ministerial car by the end of the day. the reshuffle began with the resignation of the northern ireland secretaryjames brokenshire. he has chosen to leave the cabinet because of health issues. he has been in thejob since theresa may became prime minister in 2016. my intent is to get on with surgery, get on with recovery and get back to my duties as mp and back to front line political duties as well. other cabinet ministers, like the work and pensions secretary, david gauke, spent the morning watching their phones, waiting to learn their fate. until you are properly contacted, you carry on as normal, you carry on doing yo

yesterday when the former secretary of state james brokenshire released his resignation letter he saidget this executive up and running. and further intervention would not be neededin further intervention would not be needed in other words, a return to direct rule. so the new secular state karen bradley has got a challenging job ahead and a very full entry. —— in tray. this is outside source live from the bbc newsroom. our lead story is... north korea has offered to send a delegation including athletes and journalists to next month's winter olympics in south korea. the offer was made at the first talks in two years between the north and the south. zimbabwe's anti—corruption agency is investigating whether the former first lady grace mugabe fraudulently obtained a doctorate. she was awarded the phd just months after enrolling at university in 2014. a suicide bombing in the western pakistani city of quetta has killed at least seven people. a police van was nearby — and the pakistan taliban is claiming responsibility. and this is the sahara desert — the hottest desert in the world — after

over at education but earlier karen bradley was appointed northern ireland secretary. replacing james brokenshireho has resigned due to ill—health. matt hancock has become the new secretary of state for culture, media and sport. while brandon lewis becomes chair of the conservative party. and thejustice secretary david lidington moves to the cabinet office. replacing him atjustice is david gauke, the former secretary of state at the department for work and pensions. all remaining in post, althoutheremy hunt has a new title as secretary of state for health and social care. our political correspondent leila nathoo is at westminster. some nathoo is at westminster. late drama withjustine greening some late drama withjustine greening refusing to go to dwp after being told she has to leave education. absolutely. somewhat slow—moving day, a limited reshuffle so slow—moving day, a limited reshuffle so far. most of the top jobs have stayed the same albeit withjeremy hunt persuading the prime minister a p pa re ntly hunt persuading the prime minister apparently of his merits to stay in the position of heal

there will be a future hinges, james brokenshire will have to be replaced, david lidington has been movedough publicly that's not a huge role, it is someone to read trusts because he will have to take on the chairing of all these committees, these brexit subcommittees, it's an important role but very much behind the scenes. so far the expansion of jeremy hunt's department is possibly the most significant. bringing in social care, that is significant because we know this is a long—term issue that many governments have said they are going to tackle. theresa may try to come up with a plan for it during the general election, it did not go down very well, it will now be up tojeremy hunt to try to think about how we fund social care in the future with that ageing population growing and growing, and the pressure of course on been .. lot of those in, 5:7- 5“? a“: i: z: 1: their ,, . . q5.§‘f*‘.!z}=§*‘—ir 7 their election 445,395??? 7 7 their election machine sewer—eff? ' their election machine miter —:=t—:* ' their election machine alter eff ' —— their election machine after that disastrous elect

amongst other things, a series of pretty elastic deadlines set by the previous secretary of state, james brokenshire and so that's the sort of situation that the new secretary of state karen bradley now finds herself at the helm of, whether she can inject any momentum, any new ideas to make a change, well, we have to see when she arrives here and gets talking properly to the parties. with a look back first of all at how we got to this point here is our ireland correspondent chris page. just like everywhere else in the uk, the health service in northern ireland is under severe pressure this winter, but what's different here is that there's no health minister. three months before it collapsed, the devolved government published a plan to restructure the nhs after a report said the system was at breaking point. no problem with your blood pressure before? no. this gp says urgent reforms are being held up because ministers are out of office. we already see it with the long waiting lists for secondary care. we see it with the lack of investment in social care. we see it with the issues around the out of ho