World News

UK PM Rishi Sunak Sacks Several Ministers, Picks Dominic Raab As His Deputy: Report

October 25, 2022
Bharat Times

Within an hour of his meeting with King Charles II, the newly-elected prime minister of the UK Rishi Sunak on Tuesday asked for the resignation of several members of Liz Truss’s team of ministers as a precursor to the announcement of his new cabinet, said sources as reported by The Guardian. Dominic Raab, who was formerly the Deputy PM for Boris Johnson, has been appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary, Downing Street said.

Meanwhile, Jacob Rees-Mogg has quit as business secretary, as Rishi Sunak appoints his new team of cabinet ministers. Rees-Mogg, who is also a close ally of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, backed Truss’s leadership.

Rishi, who entered No10 as Prime Minister, started reshuffling with several ministers who had been loyal to Liz Truss and Boris Johnson.

Jeremy Hunt, who replaced Kwasi Kwarteng as Chancellor in the midst of financial disturbance, was expected to remain in his post as Chancellor.

Also Read: Rishi Sunak Wears Sacred Hindu Thread During His First Address As UK Prime Minister

Ben Wallace has been re-appointed as Britain’s defence secretary in Rishi Sunak’s government. He is one of the few cabinet secretaries to keep their job during both Johnson and Truss’s premierships.

Indian-origin Conservative Party MP Suella Braverman has been appointed as the United Kingdom’s Home Secretary in Sunak’s Cabinet. The move from the party comes just six days after she quit the post taking responsibility for a “technical breach of government rules on sending an email”.

In his first address after taking charge as the first Indian-origin Prime Minister of the UK, Rishi Sunak on Tuesday said some “mistakes” were made by the previous Liz Truss government and he was elected to “fix them”. Addressing reporters outside Number 10 in Downing Street, Sunak promised to place “economic stability and confidence” at the heart of his agenda.

“Right now our country is facing a profound economic crisis…Putin war in Ukraine has destabilised markets the world over…(Former Prime Minister) Liz Truss was not wrong to work for the economic goals of this country. I admire her. But some mistakes were made. Not ill intentioned, in fact the opposite, nonetheless mistakes,” Sunak said at an address outside Number 10 in Downing Street.

Warning of “difficult decisions” ahead, Sunak said he would confront the “profound economic crisis” with compassion and lead a government of “integrity, professionalism and accountability”.