Cameron-baiting backbencher Sion Simon lands ministerial role

Controversial backbencher and former News of the World journalist Sion Simon has become parliamentary under secretary of state for further education at the Department for Innovation Universities and Skills (DIUS) following Gordon Brown's cabinet reshuffle.

Simon, a Birmingham MP since 2001, is perhaps best known for his 2006 spoof YouTube video of Tory leader David Cameron's video blog. Pretending to be Cameron, he wore a baseball cap and offered people one of his children and the opportunity to sleep with his wife.

The DIUS ministerial team, led by secretary of state John Denham, is as follows:

• Lord Drayson, minister of state for science and innovation
• David Lammy, minister of state for higher education and intellectual property
• Sion Simon, parliamentary under secretary of state for further education
• Lord Young of Norwood Green, parliamentary under secretary of state for skills and apprenticeships.