A Conservative Cabinet minister who lost his Commons seat on Friday is being lined up for a peerage that would allow him to retain his government role.

Boris Johnson is understood to have discussed appointing Zac Goldsmith to the House of Lords in order to keep him on as environment and development minister.

On Monday the Prime Minister will announce replacements for Nicky Morgan, the Culture Secretary, who has stood down as an MP, and Alun Cairns, who resigned as Welsh Secretary last month. Anne-Marie Trevelyan, a former board member of the official Vote Leave campaign, who is now a defence minister, was on Saturday night being tipped as a possible replacement for Mrs Morgan, along with Victoria Atkins, a Home Office minister and Tory rising star.