Musical Chairs: Rishi Sunak Carries Out Cabinet Reshuffle and Sacks Truss Supporters

Prime Minister Liz Truss hosts the first Cabinet meeting with her new Cabinet in Downing Street, London, on Sept. 7, 2022. Frank Augstein/PA Media

The UK’s third prime minister since July—Rishi Sunak— has carried out a Cabinet reshuffle and replaced a number of ministers who were loyal to his predecessor, Liz Truss.

After an audience with King Charles III on Tuesday, Sunak, 42, took over the reins of power and immediately began reshuffling his pack of ministers.

Jeremy Hunt remains in post as chancellor, having replaced Kwasi Kwarteng, who had been one of Truss’s closest allies until he was unceremoniously sacked by her after the mini-budget they produced went down badly with the financial markets.

Truss had been prime minister for only 49 days and her close friend and ally, Therese Coffey, had been deputy prime minister and health secretary for the same period.

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab arriving in Downing Street, London, for a Cabinet meeting on Apr. 26, 2022. Yui Mok/PA

But Coffey has been replaced as deputy prime minister by Dominic Raab, who has also returned to his post as justice secretary after a seven-week hiatus.

James Cleverly, who was promoted to the post of foreign secretary by Truss, is also remaining in his post and Ben Wallace, who ruled out a leadership bid last week, stays on as defence secretary.

Among those who were shown the door were Jacob Rees-Mogg, a hard-line Brexiteer and close ally of Boris Johnson, who was sacked as secretary of state for business, energy, and industrial strategy.

Also out was Justice Secretary Brandon Lewis, who in his seven weeks in office managed to end the barristers’ strike which had dragged on for months.

Education Secretary Kit Malthouse, who had worked closely with Johnson since the former PM’s time as mayor of London, also resigned.

Grant Shapps, a prominent Sunak supporter, was brought in as home secretary by Truss last week after Suella Braverman resigned under mysterious circumstances.

But she has been reappointed as home secretary, with Shapps replacing Rees-Mogg as business secretary.

Fifth Education Secretary since July

Seeing the writing on the wall, Simon Clarke resigned as levelling up secretary and Ranil Jayawardena quit as environment secretary.

Michael Gove, a prominent critic of Truss’s tax policies, is set to be reappointed as levelling up secretary.

Penny Mordaunt, who had launched a rival bid for the leadership, will continue as leader of the Commons.

Jake Berry resigned as chairman of the Conservative Party and Wendy Morton stepped down as chief whip eight days after she led a farcical attempt to force Tory MPs to vote with the government in the fracking debate.

She has been replaced as chief whip by Simon Hart.

Two other Truss loyalists, Work and Pensions Secretary Chloe Smith and junior minister Vicky Ford, were also sacked and Alok Sharma’s role as president of COP26 has been downgraded.

Sharma will negotiate on behalf of Britain at COP27 in Egypt next month but he will no longer have a seat at the Cabinet table.

Oliver Dowden has been appointed chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, replacing Nadhim Zahawi, who remains in the Cabinet as minister without portfolio.

Zahawi will also be the new Conservative Party chairman.

PA Media contributed to this report.