UK PM Rishi Sunak’s cabinet: From new members to re-appointed ones, here’s the full list
Rishi Sunak kept several senior figures in place, including Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace and Indian-origin Suella Braverman.
Amid the political chaos and economic turbulence, the United Kingdom chose former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak as Britain’s first prime minister of colour. His appointment came nearly five days after the outgoing UK PM Liz Truss resigned saying, “I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party.”
Meanwhile, while choosing his Cabinet Ministers, Sunak, has proved several media reports “bogus” as he chose many ministers from the ousted Prime Minister Boris Johnson government and that of the UK’s “45-day PM”, Truss. Among the top leaders, he retained several of Truss’s appointed ministers including Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt. He kept several senior figures in place, including Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace and Indian-origin Suella Braverman as interior minister.
“I fully appreciate how hard things are. And I understand, too, that I have work to do to restore trust after all that has happened. All I can say is that I am not daunted,” Sunak said outside the prime minister’s 10 Downing Street residence.
Here is the list of Rishi Sunak’s Cabinet Ministers
- Jeremy Hunt Andrew Mitchell has been appointed a Minister of State
- Hon Robert Jenrick has been appointed a Minister of State (Minister for Immigration)
- Gavin Williamson CBE has been appointed a Minister of State
- Tom Tugendhat MBE has been re-appointed as a Minister of State (Minister for Security)
- Johnny Mercer has been appointed a Minister of State (Minister for Veterans’ Affairs)
- John Glen has been appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury
- Mark Harper has been appointed Secretary of State for Transport
- Jeremy Quin MP has been appointed Paymaster General, and Minister for the Cabinet Office
- Victoria Prentis has been appointed Attorney General
- Lord True CBE has been re-appointed Lord Privy Seal, and Leader of the House of Lords
- David TC Davies has been appointed Secretary of State for Wales
- Alister Jack MP has been re-appointed Secretary of State for Scotland
- Chris Heaton-Harris has been re-appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
- Michelle Donelan has been reappointed as Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
- Kemi Badenoch MP has been re-appointed Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade
- Michael Gove has been appointed Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
- Steve Barclay MP has been appointed Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
- Thérèse Coffey MP has been appointed Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- Mel Stride MP has been appointed Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
- Gillian Keegan has been appointed Secretary of State for Education
- Penny Mordaunt has been re-appointed as Lord President of the Council, and Leader of the House of Commons
- Grant Shapps has been appointed Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
- Suella Braverman KC has been appointed Secretary of State for the Home Department
- Oliver Dowden has been appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
- Nadhim Zahawi has been appointed Minister without Portfolio.
- Ben Wallace has been re-appointed Secretary of State for Defence
- James Cleverly has been re-appointed Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
- Simon Hart has been appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
From the dramatic ouster of Johnson to Sunak taking over
Notably, UK’s shortest-serving PM Liz Truss resigned from office on October 20, only 45 days after taking charge. Following her tumultuous tenure, her predecessor Boris Johson, who was unceremoniously ‘ousted’ as PM, had tried his best to become the next PM but failed in getting the support of 100 MPs– which is considered as the threshold.
Subsequently, Sunak has been declared the next PM to lead the country. He will be the first British prime minister with South Asian roots and its first Hindu leader — a milestone for a country with an extensive colonial past, and one that is still contested. In his first public statement, Sunak said “the United Kingdom is a great country, but there is no doubt we face a profound economic challenge.” “We now need stability and unity, and I will make it my utmost priority to bring our party and our country together,” said Sunak, who at 42 is Britain’s youngest prime minister in 200 years.
