Defence Secretary Ben Wallace seen greeting man with handshake on return to Westminster

The Defence Secretary was today pictured shaking hands with someone on his way to a socially distanced meeting of Boris Johnson's top table.

Ben Wallace was seen greeting a man this morning as MPs returned to Westminster following the summer recess.

Mr Wallace was on his way to a cabinet meeting that is due to be chaired by Prime Minister from 10am.

The meeting is being held in the Foreign Office because there is more space for all the cabinet ministers to socially distance than in Downing Street.

Mr Johnson is expected to urge his ministers to get Britain back to “more normality”.

The PM's most senior adviser Dominic Cummings was also spotted wearing a suit to mark the first day back.

It comes as Prince William’s former private secretary was expected to be announced as the UK’s top civil servant later today. Simon Case has been tipped to replace Sir Mark Sedwill as Cabinet Secretary as part of a shake-up by the PM and his adviser.

Mr Cummings has reportedly told aides a “hard rain is coming” and promised to shake-up an “incoherent” Cabinet Office as part of an overhaul of Whitehall culture, according to the Financial Times.

Evening Standard has contacted the Ministry of Defence for comment.

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