UK's new PM Liz Truss appoints diverse Cabinet, excludes Rishi Sunak allies

The process of appointing the Cabinet will continue into Wednesday, when Truss addresses her first Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) in the House of Commons

Liz Truss
Liz Truss speaks after being announced as Britains next Prime Minister at The Queen Elizabeth II Centre in London (Photo: Reuters)
Press Trust of India London
3 min read Last Updated : Sep 07 2022 | 9:49 AM IST

Prime Minister Liz Truss has unveiled one of the UK's most diverse Cabinets, with key frontline posts going to ethnic minority members of Parliament, including Indian-origin Suella Braverman as the Home Secretary.

The process of appointing the Cabinet will continue into Wednesday, when Truss addresses her first Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) in the House of Commons.

By her side on the frontbenches will be Braverman, 42, whose Tamil mother had her family roots in Mauritius and Goan-origin father migrated to the UK from Kenya.

Also, by her side will be Ghanian-origin Kwasi Kwarteng, 47, as the UK's first black Chancellor and mixed Sierra Leone and white heritage James Cleverly as the Foreign Secretary, Truss' own former portfolio.

The senior Conservative MPs who had come out in support of former chancellor Rishi Sunak in the Tory leadership election are conspicuous by their absence in Truss's top team, which she has packed with close allies, such as Therese Coffey as Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and Wendy Morton as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and the first Tory female Chief Whip in charge of party discipline.

Another Indian-origin minister in the Cabinet is the 55-year-old Alok Sharma, who retains his climate action job as COP26 President, as does Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.

Iraqi-origin Nadhim Zahawi, 55, has been appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister of Equalities, Brandon Lewis is the new Justice Secretary, and Penny Mordaunt is the Leader of the Commons.

We have huge reserves of talent, of energy, and determination, Truss, 47, said in her inaugural address outside 10 Downing Street earlier on Tuesday.

I am confident that together we can: ride out the storm, we can rebuild our economy, and we can become the modern brilliant Britain that I know we can be. This is our vital mission to ensure opportunity and prosperity for all people and future generations. I am determined to deliver, she.

Truss travelled to Queen Elizabeth II's Balmoral Castle residence in Aberdeenshire, Scotland on Tuesday to meet the 96-year-old monarch, who asked her to form a new government.

Truss has said that she is honoured to take on the responsibility at a vital time for the country.

The new prime minister said her government will "transform Britain into an aspiration nation with high paying jobs, safe streets and where everyone everywhere has the opportunities they deserve.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Quarterly Starter

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

Save 46%

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online

  • Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

Topics :Rishi SunakUK

First Published: Sep 07 2022 | 9:49 AM IST

Next Story