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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appoints new cabinet 

AFTER being asked by King Charles III to form a government, Rishi Sunak has appointed his new cabinet. 

Instead of focusing on individuals who are loyal to him, as his two predecessors – Liz Truss and Boris Johnson – had done, Mr Sunak has promised to form a government of “all the talents”. 

Chancellor – Jeremy Hunt MP

Jeremy Hunt will keep his job as chancellor after reversing the majority of Liz Truss’s mini-budget, created by his predecessor Kwasi Kwarteng. 

Mr Hunt is expected to lay out plans for balancing the books with a fiscal statement on November 17. 

Foreign Secretary – James Cleverly MP

James Cleverly has been reappointed as foreign secretary. He is the first Liz Truss backer to stay in post under Rishi Sunak.

 Defence Secretary – Ben Wallace MP

Ben Wallace has also kept his job as defence secretary. Mr Wallace is one of the few cabinet secretaries to keep their job during the Johnson and Truss leaderships. 

Home Secretary – Suella Braverman MP

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Less than a week since she quit, Suella Braverman has been reappointed as home secretary. 

Ms Braverman quit her role as home secretary after breaching ministerial code by sending classified documents from her personal email. 

She has taken a stance on refugees crossing the English Channel and has previously said it was her “dream” to see the Rwanda deportation flights take off. 

Her appointment will be seen as trying to keep all wings of the party on board, while showing Mr Sunak’s intention to take a hard line on immigration.

Commons Leader – Penny Mordaunt MP

Penny Mordaunt will keep her role as Commons Leader. She was in the race for leadership against Mr Sunak, but quit at the last minute after failing to get enough MP’s to back her. 

The main role of a Commons Leader is to organise government business. Sources close to her have said she hoped to be appointed as foreign secretary. 

Deputy PM and Justice Secretary – Dominic Raab MP

Dominic Raab has been appointed deputy PM and justice secretary. Dominic Raab also held these positions under the leadership of Boris Johnson. 

Mr Raab briefly ran the country when former prime minister Boris Johnson was in hospital with Covid-19. 

Business Secretary – Grant Shapps MP 

Grant Shapps was drafted to replace Ms Braverman as home secretary six days ago after she quit. He has now been appointed as business and energy secretary.

Shapps has experience in cabinet, having served as transport secretary under Boris Johnson.

Housing and Communities Secretary – Michael Gove MP

Michael Gove has been reappointed as levelling-up secretary only three months after being fired by Boris Johnson. 

Mr Gove has not been shy about criticising the government from the backbenches, so his appointment as housing and communities secretary could be viewed as a tactical move by Mr Sunak. 

Health Secretary – Steve Barclay MP

Steve Barclay had been appointed Brexit secretary under Theresa May and served as health secretary in Mr Johnson’s interim cabinet. 

Environment Secretary – Therese Coffey MP

Ms Coffey was deputy prime minister and health secretary under Liz Truss, but has been appointed as environment secretary by Rishi Sunak. 

Education Secretary – Gillian Keegan MP

This is Ms Keegan’s first cabinet position. 

Under Mr Johnson, she was the parliamentary under-secretary for apprenticeships and skills. She was then care and mental health minister in the health department and Ms Truss made her parliamentary under-secretary for Africa.

International Trade Secretary – Kemi Badenoch MP

Ms Badenoch has been reappointed as international trade secretary as well as minister for women and equalities. 

Chief Whip – Simon Hart MP

Simon Hart has been appointed as chief whip. The chief whip is in charge of party discipline and telling Tory MPs how they should vote on certain issues. 

Work and Pensions Secretary – Mel Stride MP 

Mel Stride has been promoted into the cabinet as work and pensions secretary.

Mr Stride was instrumental in calling for an Office for Budget Responsibility forecast to go alongside Ms Truss’s spending plans after the turmoil caused by her mini-budget, and has called for benefits to rise in line with inflation.

Party Chairman – Nadhim Zahawi MP 

Zahawi has been appointed as Conservative Party chairman. He was briefly chancellor under Mr Johnson following Mr Sunak’s resignation. 

He also served as a vaccines minister and education secretary under Mr Johnson, and he was made Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster under Ms Truss.

Culture Secretary – Michelle Donelan MP

Ms Donelan has kept her job as secretary for digital, culture, media and sport after being appointed by Ms Truss, taking over from Nadine Dorries. 

Wales Secretary – David TC Davies MP

David TC Davies, the Wales minister since 2019, has been promoted to Wales secretary, taking over from Robert Buckland who resigned on Tuesday morning

Mr Davies, the MP for Monmouth since 2005, chaired the Welsh Affairs Committee from 2010 to 2019.

Northern Ireland Secretary – Chris Heaton-Harries MP

Chris Heaton-Harris has been reappointed as Northern Ireland secretary.

He was first appointed to this role by Ms Truss at the start of September.

Scotland Secretary – Alister Jack MP

Alister Jack is keeping his job as Scotland secretary, a post he has held since July 2019.

Duchy of Lancaster – Oliver Dowden MP

Dowden has been appointed as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. 

He will support the prime minister and ensure the effective running of the government. 

Chief Secretary to the Treasury – John Glen

Attorney General – Victoria Prentis 

Transport Secretary – Mark Harper

Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords – Lord True

Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office – Jeremy Quin

Security Minister – Tom Tugendhat

Veterans’ Affairs Minister – Johnny Mercer

Minister for Immigration – Robert Jenrick

Minister for Development – Andrew Mitchell

Sir Gavin Williamson will also return to government as a minister without portfolio. 

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