LIZ TRUSS is the UK’s fourth prime minister in a little over six years – the fastest turnover in new occupants of 10 Downing Street for nearly a century – and in a major Cabinet reshuffle, she got rid of most of the ministers her three predecessors had appointed.

The new Prime Minister, who was born in Oxford, conducted an overhaul to leave few survivors from Boris Johnson’s Cabinet.

And there is only one survivor around the cabinet table from David Cameron's time as prime minister, six years ago: Ms Truss herself.

Following the reshuffle, nearly a third of her Cabinet attendees are women – the highest proportion in modern times.

In addition to this, nearly a quarter (23 per cent) of all people able to attend Cabinet meetings are non-white.

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The appointment of Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, Suella Braverman as Home Secretary and James Cleverly as Foreign Secretary also mean that for the first time in history none of the great offices of state are held by white men.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, the hardline Brexiteer who has decried “climate alarmism”, was appointed as Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Allies insisted the changes would “unify” the Tory party, pointing to senior roles for some of Ms Truss’ leadership rivals: Penny Mordaunt, Tom Tugendhat, Kemi Badenoch and Nadhim Zahawi.

But Dominic Raab, Grant Shapps, George Eustice and Steve Barclay were among the Sunak supporters dispatched to the backbenches.

The new-look Cabinet met this morning to consider a plan to freeze energy bills in order to save households and businesses from financial ruin.

READ MORE: Here's what Liz Truss becoming Prime Minister could mean for the NHS

Deputy Prime Minister Therese Coffey said Ms Truss recognised the need to “hit the ground running”, with the energy plan expected to be announced in Parliament this week.

Ms Truss is facing her first Prime Minister’s Questions today, after the meeting of a Cabinet which has been packed with allies.

Ms Coffey defended the make-up of the top team following the cull of senior ministers loyal to former leadership contender Rishi Sunak, insisting it is “a government of all the talents that we have in this party”.

Ms Coffey, who is also the Health Secretary, said: “Liz has appointed a Cabinet of a mixture of whether it’s people of her proactive supporters, people who did not support her as well.”

As well as appointing her Cabinet, on her first night in No 10 Ms Truss made her first call to President Volodymyr Zelensky, accepting an invitation to visit to Ukraine soon.

She went on to speak to Joe Biden, with the White House’s account of the call making clear the US President stressed the need to come to an agreement with the EU over post-Brexit legislation on Northern Ireland.

 

Full list of Liz Truss' new cabinet:

Chancellor: Kwasi Kwarteng

Deputy prime minister and health secretary: Therese Coffey

Foreign secretary: James Cleverly

Home secretary: Suella Braverman

Education secretary: Kit Malthouse

Defence secretary: Ben Wallace

Justice secretary: Brandon Lewis

Business, energy and industrial strategy secretary: Jacob Rees-Mogg

Environment secretary: Ranil Jayawardena

COP26 president: Alok Sharma

Climate minister: Graham Stuart

Levelling up, housing and communities secretary: Simon Clarke

Transport secretary: Anne-Marie Trevelyan

Culture secretary: Michelle Donelan

Trade secretary: Kemi Badenoch

Minister for Security: Tom Tugendhat

Armed forces and veterans minister: James Heappey

Attorney General: Michael Ellis

Northern Ireland secretary: Chris Heaton-Harris

Scotland secretary: Alister Jack

Wales secretary: Robert Buckland

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster: Nadhim Zahawi

Development minister: Vicky Ford

Chief whip: Wendy Morton

Lord president of the council and leader of the House of Commons: Penny Mordaunt

Lord privy seal, and leader of the House of Lords: Lord True

Minister without portfolio: Jake Berry

Chief secretary to the Treasury: Chris Philp

Paymaster General and minister for the Cabinet Office: Edward Argar

 

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This story was written by Anna Colivicchi, she joined the team this year and covers health stories for the Oxfordshire papers. 

Get in touch with her by emailing: Anna.colivicchi@newsquest.co.uk

Follow her on Twitter @AnnaColivicchi