A NEW man has been given the task of delivering economic prosperity and job creation through the Government’s Northern Powerhouse project.

Stockton South MP James Wharton has been the minister in charge, but a Parliamentary reshuffle has resulted in him being appointed as the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for International Development.

Tory Prime Minister Theresa May has been reorganising her Government since she became party leader last week after David Cameron stood down from office.

There was concern that the project could be derailed following the sacking of Chancellor George Osborne, who launched the idea, but Andrew Percy, MP for Brigg and Goole and the Isle of Axholme has been confirmed as the new Northern Powerhouse Minister.

He said: “As constituents will be aware, I've never chased a Ministerial job, I didn't in the last Parliament and I didn't in this one. However, we do live in somewhat bizarre times. Anyway, I've decided to accept this position and, as a proud Northerner, it is one of the few roles in Government I would actually quite relish.

“I hope having served ten years as a local Councillor before becoming an MP,

I also have something to contribute on the local government front. I've always championed our area as a backbencher and now I get to champion the North within Government.”

Following the announcement of his move to International Development, Mr Wharton said: “Over the last year and a bit we have done a lot of work to lay the foundations for economic growth in the north. I would want these things to continue for as long as locally people want them.

“The building blocks are there. We have laid the foundations. I hope the Northern Powerhouse project will continue and benefit our region."

Redcar MP Anna Turley said she hoped the new appointment had more success in the region than Mr Wharton.

She said: “It’s a massive hammer blow to George Osborne’s sham that was the Northern Powerhouse. James Wharton was in the post for over a year and all we saw was the closure of the steel industry in Redcar and the loss of 3,000 jobs - that’s not much of a legacy.

“It’s disappointing that we will no longer have a voice speaking up for Teesside – not that it was much good anyway.”

Ross Smith, of the North East of England Chamber of Commerce, said it was important that the new minister visits the area as soon as possible.

“We are used to having a minister who knows the area very well,” he said.

“Hopefully, the new minister can get up here quickly and we don’t lose any momentum on any of the actions that have already been taken.

“There is an onus on the new minister to come to the area to see what has been going on, but there is also the onus on ourselves to keep getting our message across that the North-East is not to be forgotten about.”

Here is a list of new Prime Minister Theresa May's latest ministerial appointments:

:: Ben Wallace MP as Minister of State for Security at the Home Office

:: Baroness Williams of Trafford as Minister of State at the Home Office

:: Sir Alan Duncan MP as Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

:: Baroness Anelay of St Johns as Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development

:: Earl Howe as Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence and Deputy Leader of the House of Lords

:: Nick Gibb as Minister of State at the Department for Education

:: Edward Timpson as Minister of State at the Department for Education

:: Robert Halfon as Minister of State at the Department for Education

:: David Jones as Minister of State at the Department for Exiting the European Union

:: Baroness Neville-Rolfe as Minister of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

:: Lord Freud as Minister of State for Welfare Reform at the Department for Work and Pensions

:: Gavin Barwell as Minister of State for Housing, Planning and Minister for London at the Department for Communities and Local Government

:: George Eustice as Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

:: Rory Stewart as Minister of State at the Department for International Development

:: Simon Kirby as Economic Secretary at HM Treasury

:: Lord O'Neill of Gatley as Commercial Secretary at HM Treasury

:: Sarah Newton as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office

:: Baroness Shields as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

:: Tobias Ellwood as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

:: Alok Sharma as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

:: Mark Lancaster as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Defence

:: Harriett Baldwin as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Defence

:: Sam Gyimah as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice

:: Phillip Lee as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice

:: Lord Nash as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Education

:: Caroline Dinenage as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Education

:: Lord Bridges of Headley as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Exiting the European Union

:: Robin Walker as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Exiting the European Union

:: Mark Garnier as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for International Trade

:: Margot James as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

:: Nicola Blackwood as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health

:: David Mowat as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health

:: Lord Prior of Brampton as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health

:: Caroline Nokes as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Work and Pensions

:: Richard Harrington as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Work and Pensions

:: Paul Maynard as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport

:: Andrew Jones as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport

:: Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport

:: Andrew Percy as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Communities and Local Government

:: Marcus Jones as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Communities and Local Government

:: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Wales Office

:: Michael Ellis as Deputy Leader of the House of Commons (and Assistant Whip)

:: Lord Dunlop as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Scotland Office and the Northern Ireland Office

:: Guto Bebb as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Wales Office (and Government Whip (Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury))

:: Kris Hopkins as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Northern Ireland Office

:: Therese Coffey as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

:: Lord Gardiner of Kimble as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

:: James Wharton as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for International Development

:: Chris Skidmore as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Cabinet Office

:: Tracey Crouch as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

:: Rob Wilson as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

:: Lord Ashton of Hyde as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (and a Lord in Waiting)

:: Robert Buckland - Solicitor General

:: Lord Keen of Elie - Advocate General for Scotland

:: Rt Hon Anne Milton - Deputy Chief Whip (Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip)

:: Mel Stride - Government Whip (Comptroller of HM Household)

:: Julian Smith - Government Whip (Vice Chamberlain of HM Household)

:: Rt Hon David Evennett - Government Whip (Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury)

:: Stephen Barclay - Government Whip (Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury)

:: Guy Opperman - Government Whip (Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury)

:: Robert Syms - Government Whip (Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury)

:: Andrew Griffiths - Government Whip (Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury)

:: Jackie Doyle-Price - Assistant Government Whip

:: Graham Stuart - Assistant Government Whip

:: Heather Wheeler - Assistant Government Whip

:: Chris Heaton-Harris - Assistant Government Whip

:: Mark Spencer - Assistant Government Whip

:: Christopher Pincher - Assistant Government Whip

:: Steve Brine - Assistant Government Whip

:: Rt Hon Lord Taylor of Holbeach - Lords Chief Whip (Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms)

:: Earl of Courtown - Deputy Chief Whip (Captain of The Queen's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard )

:: Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen - Baroness in Waiting

:: Baroness Goldie - Baroness in Waiting

:: Baroness Mobarik - Baroness in Waiting

Other appointments were:

:: Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen as spokesperson on Cabinet Office business in the House of Lords

:: George Hollingbery as the Prime Minister's Parliamentary Private Secretary

The following ministers have left the government:

:: Mark Francois - appointed by the Prime Minister to conduct a review into the use of reserves in the Army.

:: George Freeman - appointed as Chair of the Prime Minister's Policy Board

:: Sir Desmond Swayne

:: Hugo Swire

:: Julian Brazier

:: James Duddridge

:: Charlie Elphicke

:: John Penrose

:: Andrew Selous

:: Justin Tomlinson

:: Baroness Verma