Grant Shapps has been made international development minister in the Cabinet reshuffle, a move that has confounded his supporters and delighted his critics.
Shapps was moved to the new job from that of Conservative party chairman - regarded by most as a demotion - just days after it was reported that senior Tories had been urging the prime minister to sack him.
But it was also just days after the Tories won a majority against all expectations and the party chairman plays a crucial role in the electoral machine, running the party machine and overseeing Conservative Central Office.
It was announced on Monday evening after a day of new appointments. Earlier in the day, commentators were wondering what had happened to him when his name was not mentioned in the announcements.
He became mired in controversy after he was accused of anonymously editing his own entry and those of other Tory politicians on Wikipedia.
Shapps, who as chairman attended Cabinet as minister without portfolio, dismissed the accusations as "bonkers" and alleged that the anonymous Wikipedia "sock-puppet" might have been a member of Labour's press team.
At the time of the allegations, Cameron stood by the Shapps, insisting he was doing a "great job".
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Earlier in the year, Labour demanded an immediate investigation into whether Shapps had breached the codes of conduct for ministers and MPs after it was revealed that he continued working as a marketer of get-rich-quick schemes under the pseudonym Michael Green after entering Parliament.
He had emphatically denied the accusation only weeks earlier.
On Twitter, Shapps' critics reacted to the news with glee, with the press calling it a demotion.
"Hi, foreign country. I'm Grant Shapps, the new Minister for International Development and I can show you how to get rich in 10 easy steps."
— David Schneider (@davidschneider) May 11, 2015The one good thing to emerge from this reshuffle is the demotion of the odious Grant Shapps.
— Mark Barrett (@mjb222) May 11, 2015Yes the individual I hate most in politics is gone http://t.co/YzkRNsBfax
— Connor (@connoraxiotes) May 11, 2015Grant Shapps looks like he has had a bit of a demotion. Ha ha, pity not to the backbench but still.
— MilenaZP (@Italiataff) May 11, 2015Others expressed surprise Shapps was moved from chairman just after the party won an election.
Interesting to read of Shapps' demotion. I thought party chairmen who had overseen an election victory normally got promoted?
— Richard K Hornsey (@richardkhornsey) May 11, 2015Grant Shapps is now a minister of state at DFID. This isn't what the party chairman in an election winning campaign would expect as a reward
— James Forsyth (@JGForsyth) May 11, 2015Michael Green is the first to wish Grant Shapps well in his new post.
— John Bull (@larrymeath) May 11, 2015Grant Shapps suffers massive demotion - after spearheading the Conservative party's successful election victory he is now a junior minister
— Matt Dathan (@matt_dathan) May 11, 2015Tim Shipman, political editor of The Sunday Times, quoted a "senior Tory" who downplayed Shapps' role in the election campaign.
Explaining Shapps move. Senior Tory: "The campaign was run by Crosby, Textor & Gilbert reporting to Cameron & Osborne, paid for by Feldman."
— Tim Shipman (@ShippersUnbound) May 11, 2015Shapps will be replaced as chairman by Lord Feldman who will attend the prime minister's political cabinet.
Andrew Feldman was made a life peer by Cameron in 2010 and has served as co-chairman of the Conservative Party, alongside Shapps, since then.
According to the Conservative Home website, the peer, a barrister turned businessman, and the PM have been close friends since meeting at Oxford where they played tennis together.
Lord Feldman was also responsible for raising money during Cameron's successful Tory leadership campaign in 2005. He became the Conservatives' chief fundraiser shortly afterwards.
