Sunak aims to fix Truss ‘mistakes’
HUNT STAYS CHANCELLOR IN CABINET CONTINUITY
BRITAIN’S new prime minister, Rishi Sunak, said on Tuesday (25) he would try to fix the mess left by his predecessor, restore faith in politics and tackle a “profound economic crisis” but warned the country there would be difficult decisions.
Sunak paid tribute to Liz Truss, whose economic plan roiled the markets, saying the mistakes she made were not “born of ill will or bad intentions”.
He also took aim at another predecessor, Boris Johnson, by saying the mandate the Conservatives were handed at the 2019 election won by the former prime minister was not the property of one individual, and he would be guided by its promises.
Appealing to a pubic facing rising energy and food prices, Sunak said he fully appreciated how hard things were for many.
“So I stand here before you ready to lead our country into the future. To put your needs above politics, to reach out and build a government that represents the very best traditions of my party. Together we can achieve incredible things.”
In appointing his new cabinet, Sunak retained several senior ministers from Truss’s team, including Jeremy Hunt as chancellor.
He kept James Cleverly as foreign secretary and Ben Wallace in defence, despite them both backing an aborted comeback by ex-leader Boris Johnson.
In an astonishing return just days after she quit Truss’s cabinet, he re-appointed hardline rightwinger Suella Braverman as home secretary, in charge of policing and immigration control.
Sunak also kept his most recent leadership rival Penny Mordaunt, who withdrew from the race on Monday (24) after failing to secure enough Tory MPs’ support, as leader of the House of Commons.
The appointments appear aimed at signalling continuity in top portfolios after the dramatic upheavals seen under Truss.
Grant Shapps, a longtime Johnson loyalist who had briefly replaced Braverman at the home secretary and backed Sunak in the latest leadership contest, was named business secretary.
Shapps replaced Johnson’s close ally Jacob ReesMogg, who was one of at least 10 ministers to leave the cabinet under Sunak’s new rule.
Other appointments included Simon Hart as chief whip in charge of party discipline in the House of Commons, which unravelled under Truss.
Oliver Dowden was named chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, making him a key troubleshooter across cabinet departments.
Nadhim Zahawi became a minister without portfolio, while also reportedly being appointed chairman of the Conservative party.