Donelan becomes education secretary and quits within two days

On 5 July 2022 Michelle Donelan was appointed education secretary after Nadhim Zahawi moved to the Treasury, as Boris Johnson's government faced mass resignations. She resigned on 7 July, hours before Johnson announced he would step down, making hers one of the shortest cabinet tenures in British history.

Two days leading education during a cabinet collapse

On 5 July 2022, Prime Minister Boris Johnson appointed Michelle Donelan as Britain's secretary of state for education after Nadhim Zahawi moved to the Treasury. Donelan had previously served as universities minister and was promoted during a rapid succession of ministerial departures. The appointment took effect as Johnson faced mounting criticism over his handling of allegations against Conservative deputy chief whip Chris Pincher and earlier breaches of pandemic rules. Within the government, the appointment offered little institutional continuity because the prime minister's support was collapsing.

On 7 July, Donelan resigned as education secretary, after roughly 36 hours in the post, urging Johnson to leave office. That same day Johnson announced he would step down as Conservative leader, though he initially planned to remain prime minister until a successor was chosen. Education staff and students were left with another leadership transition at a department already dealing with post-pandemic recovery and spending pressures.

The two-day tenure was one episode in the Johnson government crisis. Donelan's decision mattered because cabinet-level resignations withdrew political legitimacy from Johnson's attempt to remain in office. The longer-running Brexit government cycle had already involved repeated cabinet turnovers and internal Conservative disagreements. Government appointment records confirm the 5 July promotion, while contemporaneous reports identify her 7 July departure. Neither event establishes the failure of a particular education reform; there was no realistic time for the new secretary to implement and evaluate a comprehensive programme before resigning.