Britain’s new PM Rishi Sunak kickstarts cabinet reshuffle; Who has made up to the PM’s inner circle?

Earlier in the day, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak kickstarted placing his top team alongside with key Cabinet appointments and asserted to keep the new Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, in order to maintain economic stability, Indian-origin Suella Braverman also placed a comeback as Home Secretary.

James Cleverly will continue in his role as Foreign Secretary despite not being a Sunak backer, in another consistency move.

Sunak and Braverman are both Bexiteers, and it was Braverman’s harsh resignation letter that caused Liz Truss to leave Downing Street last week. It remains unclear how her stand on immigration will fare in the new Cabinet, given her comments regarding Indian visa overstayers severely damaged the ongoing free trade agreement (FTA) talks with India and the UK.

Sunak’s ally Hunt, who was entered the cabinet under former prime minister Liz Truss earlier this month and then used to reverse her tax-cutting mini-budget, was generally expected to keep his job. It was also anticipated that it would be one of the first statements made to signal the financial markets, which have become much calmer after Sunak’s victory at Diwali.

Dominic Raab, another close supporter, who held the double positions of Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary in the Boris Johnson-led Cabinet, retains them under Sunak. Raab, who had been Sunak’s biggest ally during his most current bid for the Tory leadership, was expected to rejoin the Cabinet.

As chairman of a Tory party and a minister without portfolio, Nadhim Zahawi succeeds Ben Wallace, who remains in his post as defense secretary. Grant Shapps, who took over for Braverman at the UK Home Office, now serves as the new Business Secretary.

As soon as Sunak assumed leadership at 10 Downing Street, many members of the Liz Truss and Boris Johnson faction of the governing Conservative Party quit. Indian-origin MP Alok Sharma lost his position as Cabinet Office Minister and now serves only as COP26 President, negotiating on behalf of the UK at COP27 in Egypt next month.

Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg, Justice Secretary Brandon Lewis, Education Secretary Kit Malthouse, and Environment Secretary Ranil Jayawardena, all announced their resignations.