Ellison, who entered parliament in 2010, was previously parliamentary under secretary of state for public health at the Department of Health from October 2013 until July 2016, when she took on responsibility for strategic oversight of the UK tax system, as well as personal savings and pensions policy in the new Theresa May government.

Her priorities at the Treasury will be tackling tax avoidance, oversight of HMRC’s implementation of the Making Tax Digital programme which will see the introduction of quarterly online tax reporting for all businesses by 2018 and the ongoing campaign to curb aggressive tax avoidance with proposals for tough sanctions for so-called tax ‘enablers’.

Launching the consultation to curb tax ‘enablers’, Ellison said: ‘People who peddle tax avoidance schemes deny the country of vital tax revenue and this government is determined to make sure they pay.

‘The vast majority of their schemes don’t work and can land their users in court facing large tax bills and other costs.

‘These tough new sanctions will make would-be enablers think twice and in turn reduce the number of schemes on the market.’

Background

She is a member of the backbench business committee, co-chairman of the all party parliamentary retail group and vice chairman of the all party parliamentary Australia and New Zealand group.

Prior to becoming an MP, Ellison worked for John Lewis in marketing roles, joining from university having studied philosophy, economics and politics (PPE) at Oxford. She also served as a local councillor on two separate occasions in the London Borough of Barnet.

In contrast, before he took on the financial secretary role, Gauke was a member of the Treasury select committee from February 2006 until he was appointed as a shadow minister for the Treasury in June 2007. He was then appointed Exchequer secretary to the Treasury in May 2010, when the Conservatives came to power, and promoted to financial secretary to the Treasury in July 2014.

At the reshuffle Gauke, who worked as a solicitor in the City, was promoted to chief secretary to the Treasury, where he is supporting the new Chancellor Philip Hammond.

May’s government has two accountants in its cabinet. Justine Greening, a previous economic secretary to the Treasury in the Cameron administration and who is ICAEW-qualified is the new education secretary.  Liz Truss, a qualified management accountant, has been appointed justice secretary and lord chancellor.