New British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wants to secure broad support in the divided Conservative party with a cabinet made up of supporters and representatives from other wings of the party.
While Treasury Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Business Secretary Grant Shapps are tasked with ensuring stability in the economy and financial markets, Suella Braverman’s reappointment as Home Secretary is seen as a concession to the right-wing fringe of the party. Braverman had been forced to resign just before Sunak’s predecessor, Liz Truss, about a week ago after admitting she had broken ministerial rules.
Allies of Truss and Johnson at the helm
Therese Coffey – Truss’s closest ally – is sitting at Sunak’s cabinet table as the new environment and agriculture minister. Ben Wallace, who remains Defense Secretary, also includes a close ally of ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the new government.
With the personal details announced yesterday, Sunak is also making it clear that he will stick to the right-wing conservative course of the Tories. Braverman stands for an extremely tough immigration policy and wants to fly out migrants arriving on inflatable boats across the English Channel to Rwanda as quickly as possible.
Known as the “warrior of culture wars,” Kemi Badenoch is Minister for Women and Equality. Dominic Raab, who is returning to the Justice Department as a close Sunak ally and Deputy Prime Minister, has been criticized for his plan to use a so-called Bill of Rights to reduce the influence of the case law of the European Court of Human Rights on British legislation.
“They destroy everything that is good in this country”
Renowned British human rights lawyer Jessica Simor tweeted that a brief “moment of hope” was once again in ruins. “You are destroying everything that is good in this country and making everything that is bad worse,” Simor wrote, referring to the Tories who have ruled Britain for the past 12 years.
Sunak himself announced on Tuesday that his government would show integrity, professionalism and responsibility after the mistakes and chaos of its predecessor. “Trust has to be earned and I will earn your trust,” the 42-year-old said at Downing Street.
This afternoon, Sunak has to answer questions from British MPs for the first time in Parliament. In the so-called “Prime Minister’s Questions”, the Prime Minister is questioned in the House of Commons by opposition leader and Labor leader Keir Starmer. Other parliamentarians also have the opportunity to put questions to the prime minister.
Sunak was yesterday by King Charles III. tasked with forming a new government. He is already the third prime minister within two months, after his predecessor Liz Truss failed after only about six weeks with her radical economic reforms and finally resigned.
