Braverman, Mordaunt, Keegan become the female faces of Sunak's cabinet
Oct 25, 2022
London [UK], October 25 : Three women, Gillian Keegan, Penny Mordaunt and Suella Braverman, on Tuesday joined the cabinet of new UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Suella Braverman was appointed as Home Secretary, Penny Mordaunt was re-appointed as Leader of the House of Commons, and Gillian Keegan was appointed as Education Secretary, according to Conservative Party tweets.
Suella Braverman has been re-appointed as home secretary - less than a week after she resigned from the same role in Liz Truss's cabinet.
She was appointed home secretary, one of the top jobs in government, in September when Liz Truss became the new prime minister. But she resigned last Wednesday over a "mistake".
In her resignation letter, she said she had sent an official document from her personal email address, and breaking the ministerial code.
She also criticised Truss saying her government had "broken key pledges that were promised to voters".
Braverman is back as the person responsible for overseeing UK borders, policing and counter-terrorism.
Penny Mordaunt has been re-appointed as leader of the House of Commons by her former leadership rival Rishi Sunak.
She will also assume the role of Lord President of the Council again, as the presiding officer of the Privy Council.
Mordaunt was Sunak's leadership rival both over the summer and last week, following Liz Truss's resignation. She finished in third on her first go and second on Monday.
Pulling out two minutes before nominations were due to be announced, Mordaunt said Sunak's role as the UK's first British Asian PM would be "historic" and showed the Conservative Party's "diversity and talent".
Gillian Keegan has been appointed secretary of state for education, Downing Street has confirmed.
Liz Truss appointed Keegan to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in September this year.
She was previously minister of state for care at the Department of Health and Social Care from September 2021 to September 2022.
Other new joiners of Sunak's cabinet include Grant Shapps appointed as Business Secretary, Mel Stride appointed as Work and Pensions Secretary, Therese Coffey appointed as Environment Secretary, Steve Barclay as Health Secretary, Michael Gove appointed as Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary, Kemi Badenoch re-appointed as International Trade Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities and Michelle Donelan re-appointed as Culture Secretary.
Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak has been elected as the Leader of the Conservative Party.
Of those Sunak has appointed so far, the following were also in Johnson's cabinet: Dominic Raab, James Cleverly, Ben Wallace, Oliver Dowden, Grant Shapps, Gillian Keegan, Therese Coffey, Steve Barclay and Michael Gove.
Prime Minister Sunak's first appointment was to keep Jeremy Hunt as chancellor. Dominic Raab returned to the roles of deputy prime minister and justice secretary. James Cleverly and Ben Wallace have both retained their roles as foreign secretary and defence secretary. The new chief whip will be Simon Hart and Nadhim Zahawi has been appointed as the minister without portfolio and party chairman.
Michelle Donelan retains her culture, media and sports job, while Chris Heaton-Harris has been re-appointed as secretary of state for Northern Ireland, Downing Street confirmed.
Rishi Sunak is reshuffling his cabinet after many of Liz Truss's ministers resigned or were sacked.
Sunak officially became UK prime minister after meeting King Charles at Buckingham Palace earlier.
In his first speech outside No 10, he said the UK was facing a "profound economic crisis" and that he would fix some of Liz Truss's mistakes.