The UK tech sector has lost its digital minister Ed Vaizey
Ed Vaizey announced his departure from the helm of the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) on Twitter late on Friday evening using the hashtag #vexit.
The Conservative MP, who has been responsible for digital industries in the UK since 2010, added that he was looking forward to supporting government from the backbenches.
As digital minister, Vaizey had responsibility for overseeing government quangos Tech City UK and Tech North, as well as rolling broadband out across the country.
Many tech CEOs, investors, and founders were big fans of Vaizey, who has a reputation for making witty speeches that win audiences over.
Passion capital investor Eileen Burbidge wrote on Twitter that Vaizey was a "brilliant" minister for the digital economy, while entrepreneur Rohan Silva wrote on Twitter that he "achieved so much for creative industries and tech."
But it's likely that not everyone was sad to see Vaizey go. Internet service provider Entanet called on May to replace Vaizey last week, saying "it's more important to have a minister in place who has the ability to understand the communications industry from a technical perspective."
Vaizey is being replaced by Cabinet Office minister Matt Hancock, who has a background in economics.