Tory MP Robert Halfon quits as minister and James Heappey confirms resignation, paving way for mini reshuffle – as it happened

Rishi Sunak hosts his weekly cabinet meeting. Photograph: Simon Walker/No 10 Downing Street

6.15pm GMT

Early evening summary

• A damning inspection report has found multiple failures in the Home Office’s system for awarding care worker visas, including 275 granted to a care home that did not exist.

• Rishi Sunak has denied there is a “crisis” in local government funding despite warnings that well-run councils are on the brink of bankruptcy and local services at risk without more support.

• Sunak has carried out a mini reshuffle, after two ministers who are standing down at the next election resigned from the government. (See 6.07pm.)

• The UK’s leading local election analysts have said the Conservative party could lose half the seats they are defending in the local elections in May. In an analysis published in the Local Government Chronicle, Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher say:

If the Conservatives repeat their poor performance of 2023, when the national equivalent vote put them below 30%, they stand to lose up to 500 seats – half their councillors facing election. Labour may make about 300 gains, with the Liberal Democrats and Greens both likely to advance. We will not know the extent of any Reform party challenge until nominations close, but it cannot be completely discounted.

• Stormont’s leaders have insisted a new body aimed at strengthening links across the UK does not undermine existing political structures of the Good Friday agreement, PA Media reports. PA says Sinn Féin first minister Michelle O’Neill and DUP deputy first minister Emma Little-Pengelly were commenting after attending the inaugural meeting of the East-West Council in London. The forum designed to improve business and educational links between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK was created under the deal that restored powersharing in Northern Ireland earlier this year.

6.07pm GMT

Sunak announces details of mini-reshuffle, with five Tory MPs getting promotions

Downing Street has announced the outcome of a mini reshuffle triggered by the resignation of James Heappey and Robert Halfon. Two MPs have joined the government, two junior ministers have been promoted, and one minister of state has moved sideways (but to the Foreign Office, which probably feels like a promotion).

Nus Ghani becomes minister for Europe (at minister of state level) in the Foreign Office. She was a minister of state jointly covering the Department for Business and Trade department and the Cabinet Office.

Leo Docherty becomes armed forces minister. He is now a minister of state, and previously was a parliamentary under-secretary (a more junior minister) at the Foreign Office.

Kevin Hollinrake, the postal services minister, has been promoted, so he is now a minister of state at the Department for Business and Trade, and not just a parliamentary under-secretary in the same department.

Luke Hall becomes a minister of state in the Department for Education.

Alan Mak becomes a junior minister (parliamentary under-secretary) at the Department for Business and Trade and the Cabinet Office.