British Prime Minister David Cameron reshuffled his cabinet, less than a year before national elections that polls show the Tories are not guaranteed to win.  Despite long friendships with some of those demoted, Cameron is replacing familiar Tory faces that might be considered too “male, pale, and stale”.

One of biggest Cameron insiders to go is now-former Education Secretary Michael Gove, despised by many of Britain’s teachers for attempting right-wing reforms to the education system they say fostered a culture of bullying and intimidation.  He publicly showed his disdain for the teaching profession – at one point calling it, “the blob”. 

“The dismantling of the structures which support schools, the antagonism which he displayed to the teaching profession, and the increasing evidence of chaos in the bodies he established, in particular the Education Funding Agency, has led Cameron to one conclusion – Gove is more of a liability than an asset,” said General secretary of the Association of Teachers & Lecturers (ATL) Mary Bousted.  Cameron insists it’s not a demotion for his old pal.

Gove’s replacement is MP Nicky Morgan, who voted against legalizing same sex marriage and abortion rights.  She’s one of four women moved up into the cabinet.  Another member of that quartet is Liz Truss, the new Environmental Secretary.  She’s a veteran of Shell Oil, a free-marketeer who views environmental regulations as unnecessary red tape, and backed a failed plan to sell off the UK’s forests.

In fact, the reshuffle removes the most prominent green voices from Cameron’s inner circle.  Energy Minister Greg Barker is out, after warning of global warming while boosting the opportunities of the growing green economy. 

Now-former Foreign Secretary William Hague warned of the geo-political challenges that global warming will pose.  He was ousted a day earlier.  Hague’s replacement, former Defense Secretary Philip Hammond, sends a chilling signal to Europe.  He’s a Euroskeptic who has said that he would vote for a British exit from the EU unless there were changes to the relationship.