UK’S NEW PM LIZ TRUSS APPOINTS NEW CABINET

Wed 07 September 2022:

On Tuesday, British Prime Minister Liz Truss named her cabinet.

Therese Coffey, a former secretary of work and pensions, has been named Truss’ new health secretary and deputy prime minister.

It is well known that they have been close friends for a very long time and advanced in politics together.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng was chosen. He was the previous secretary for business and energy.

James Cleverly was named as the new foreign minister. Prior to his brief tenure as education secretary, he served as a minister in the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office.

The home secretary was chosen as Suella Braveman. She served as attorney general in the past.

The four great offices of the British state are prime minister, chancellor, foreign secretary and home secretary. And for the first time in British history, none are held by white men.

Also, for the first time, the three offices of state, excluding the premiership, are held by ethnic minorities.

Truss is the third female prime minister, with all hailing from the ruling center-right Conservative Party.

In a separate vein, Johnny Mercer was sacked as the veteran’s minister. He posted a letter to social media bemoaning that fact and accusing Truss of wanting to give his job to a supporter. Mercer’s wife called Truss an “imbecile” in a tweet with a photo of a muppet attached.

Elsewhere, Truss appointed former leadership candidate Penny Mordaunt as leader of the House of Commons, and Lord True as leader of the House of Lords.

Ben Wallace remains defense chief.

Former leadership candidate Tom Tugendhat will attend the Cabinet as security minister in the Home Office.

Jacob Rees-Mogg was appointed business and energy secretary. A prominent Boris Johnson loyalist, he was previously minister for Brexit opportunities and government efficiency.

Simon Clarke was appointed leveling up, housing and communities secretary. He was previously chief secretary to the Treasury, who is the second-in-command to the chancellor.

Kemi Badenoch was appointed International Trade Secretary. She is a darling of the right-wing of the Conservative Party membership for her hardline conservative views on culture wars.

Jake Berry was appointed minister without portfolio and Conservative Party chairman. He is a prominent Conservative MP from the north of England, which switched from Labour to the Conservatives in the last election and has been the focus of political attention ever since.

Wendy Morton was appointed chief whip; Brandon Lewis appointed Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary; Nadhim Zahawi appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, minister for intergovernmental relations and minister for equalities; Chloe Smith appointed Work and Pensions Secretary; Chris Philp to chief secretary to the Treasury; Kit Malthouse was appointed as Education Secretary; Ranil Jayawardena was appointed Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Anne-Marie Trevelyan to Transport Secretary; Michelle Donelan was appointed Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport; Chris Heaton-Harris was appointed Northern Ireland Secretary and Michael Ellis was appointed Attorney General.

Robert Buckland was re-appointed as Welsh Secretary and Alister Jack was re-appointed Scottish Secretary.

Notable from Truss’ appointments is the absence of any high-profile supporters of her leadership rival Rishi Sunak, let alone the man. Sunak was one of the final two candidates alongside Truss.

The Conservative Party is bitterly divided on several issues, not least the proper economic policy to pursue amid a deteriorating national economic outlook, yet Truss has prioritized loyalty over party unity.

Summary of appointments

Here’s the full list of cabinet appointments as things stand at the end of Liz Truss’s first day as prime minister.

The cabinet

Prime minister Liz Truss
Deputy prime minister and health secretary Thérèse Coffey
Chancellor of the exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng
Foreign secretary James Cleverly
Home secretary Suella Braverman QC
Defence secretary Ben Wallace
Justice secretary and lord chancellor Brandon Lewis
Chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, minister for intergovernmental relations and minister for equalities Nadhim Zahawi
Leader of the House of Commons and lord president of the council Penny Mordaunt
Lord privy seal and leader of the House of Lords Lord True
Minister without portfolio and Conservative party chairman Jake Berry
Cop26 President Alok Sharma
Business, energy and industrial strategy secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg
Levelling up, housing and communities Secretary Simon Clarke
International trade secretary and president of the board of trade Kemi Badenoch
Work and pensions secretary Chloe Smith
Education secretary Kit Malthouse
Environment secretary Ranil Jayawardena
Transport secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Culture secretary Michelle Donelan
Northern Ireland secretary Chris Heaton-Harris
Scotland secretary Alister Jack
Wales secretary Sir Robert Buckland QC

Attending cabinet

Parliamentary secretary to the Treasury (chief whip) Wendy Morton
Chief secretary to the Treasury Chris Philp
Attorney general Michael Ellis QC
Paymaster general and minister for the Cabinet Office Edward Argar
Minister for development at the Foreign Office Vicky Ford
Minister for security at the home department Tom Tugendhat
Minister for the armed forces and veterans at the Ministry of Defence James Heappey
Minister for climate at the business department Graham Stuart