The move — made by new Prime Minister Theresa May in a cabinet reshuffle that also saw George Osborne replaced by Philip Hammond as Chancellor — was met with disbelief and jokes aplenty on Twitter.
With his history of making offensive comments about other countries, cultures and political leaders, he seemed an odd choice for the position.
The news dominated many of the UK's papers as they rolled off the presses overnight, with publishers expressing various degrees of disbelief. Read more...