John Whittingdale, the former chair of the House of Commons culture committee, has today (11 May) been named as the new secretary of state for culture, media and sport.

Whittingdale replaces Sajid Javid, who has been made business secretary, as predicted by Leisure Opportunities on Friday.

The news was announced via Prime Minister David Cameron's official Twitter feed as the Conservative Party leader announced his first cabinet line-up since winning a surprise Commons majority in last week's general election.

In a simple Tweet, the Prime Minister wrote: "I have appointed John Whittingdale as the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport."

Whittingdale was chair of the House of Commons culture committee for nearly 10 years until today's appointment. He has also previously served as shadow secretary of state for culture, media and sport.

The 55-year-old has previously made headlines for his views on the BBC, reportedly saying that the TV Licence fee was "worse than the poll tax” and is “unsustainable” in the long term. As part of the culture brief, he will now lead negotiations for the broadcaster’s charter renewal next year.

Considered a Thatcherite, Whittingdale won praise for his role as culture committee chair in leading the 2009/2010 investigation into libel and privacy issues, including the News International phone hacking scandal. He has previously voted unsuccessfully against same-sex marriage and an equal pay transparency bill that makes employers with more than 250 staff publish information showing the difference between male and female pay.