Scully started in his tech and digital economy minister role (under secretary of state) when the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) was established by prime minister Rishi Sunak back in February.

During his nine-month tenure, Scully worked on initiatives and policies including the Online Safety Bill and the National Semiconductor Strategy, and was co-chair of the Digital Skills Council. He had also served as minister for London since 2020.

In an X thread, where he outlined examples of the work he’s accomplished in both his tech minister role and other previous positions, Scully wrote that “the best thing I’ll ever do in politics was to start the statutory inquiry into the Horizon scandal and begin the long road for the original 555 postmasters to get compensation.”

The Horizon scandal resulted in hundreds of post office operators being wrongfully prosecuted for theft, fraud, and false accounting due to faulty software.

Scully is not the only minister to have left DSIT amid the reshuffle. George Freeman, who was the minister of state for DSIT between 7 February and 13 November 2023, has resigned.

In a letter to Sunak announcing his departure, Freeman stated that “the time has come for me to focus on my health, family wellbeing and life beyond the front bench.”

Freeman was involved with work such as the recently-announced regional innovation Launchpads, and helping to fund UK quantum technologies.

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In the letter to Sunak, Freeman wrote that “It has been an honour and privilege to have been able to bring my professional career expertise in bioscience and technology venture financing to a number of frontline science and technology roles in Government, and to help you and successive Prime Ministers put S+T at the heart of our country’s economic and geopolitical missions.”

Andrew Griffith has since been appointed minister of state for DSIT. He was previously economic secretary to the Treasury, and before that financial secretary to the Treasury.

Meanwhile, Saqib Bhatti has also been appointed as under secretary of state at DSIT. Bhatti has been the vice chairman of the Conservative Party for business since September 2022.