Liz Truss is tipped to receive a more senior role in government after Boris Johnson seeks to promote more female ministers in the next reshuffle.
The international trade secretary is likely to join Kemi Badenoch, Lucy Frazer, Gillian Keegan and Victoria Atkins in receiving boosts in the next reshuffle, the Daily Mail reports.
Housing secretary Robert Jenrick and policing minister Kit Malthouse are also favoured to be rewarded for their efforts defending the government in television interviews.
Johnson could also aim to quieten backbench rebellions by promoting lockdown critics Steve Baker and Sir Graham Brady.
As previously reported home secretary Priti Patel could be demoted in the move, while Sajid Javid could also return to cabinet.
The measures could come in June after local elections in May, and come after allies Carrie Symonds and Allegra Stratton encouraging the prime minister to refresh his top team.
A source told the newspaper: “Boris has a woman problem. The only way you solve that is to put more women in the top jobs”.
Truss was rated the best-performing government minister by a recent poll of Tory members.
Last year she had been favoured for a demotion for defying an order to tweet support for Dominic Cummings.
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