Steve Webb named pensions minister

Liberal Democrat MP Steve Webb has been appointed as pensions minister to serve under Iain Duncan Smith at the DWP.

Webb (pictured) - who was first elected in 1997 - was formerly Liberal Democrat work and pensions spokesman, and is one of the most experienced politicians in this area.

He confirmed his appointment on Twitter yesterday evening.

Webb was a senior spokesman for social security, a brief which then included pension issues, from 1997 to 2001 before become frontbench spokesman for social security and welfare in 1999.

In June 2001 he became Liberal Democrat spokesman on work and pensions - a position he held until May 2005, when he became a health spokesman for the party.

Following spells as environment, energy, food and rural affairs spokesman and climate change and energy spokesman; Webb returned to the work and pensions brief in January 2009.

He says he is an armchair supporter of West Bromwich Albion.

Webb's appointment follows an increasing amount of speculation about who would get the job of pensions minister.

Yesterday, several sources told PP that Chris Grayling - who has held several high profile positions during the Conservatives' time in opposition - would get the role (PP Online, May 13).

Grayling was confirmed as a minister of state in the department for work and pensions but covering a different brief to pensions.

The appointment of Webb comes a day after Iain Duncan Smith was confirmed as secretary of state for work and pensions (PP Online, May 13).

Duncan Smith - a former leader of the Conservative Party - had been expected to take up a role with responsibility for social justice, further to his work setting up the Centre for Social Justice.He was first elected in 1992.

A former army officer who saw active service in Northern Ireland, he was a shadow defence secretary under William Hague.

He beat competition from another new Cabinet colleague, Kenneth Clarke, to take on the party leadership role in September 2001 before being ousted from the role in 2003.