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Britain’s new prime minister Liz Truss has named Kemi Badenoch as the new secretary of state for international trade and president of the board of trade and Kwasi Kwarteng as Britain’s first Black chancellor.
“The Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng MP @KwasiKwarteng has been appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer @HMTreasury,” the prime minister said on Twitter.
Ms Badenoch will be succeeding Anne-Marie Trevelyan, appointed as secretary of state for transport. Until she was appointed UK trade chief, Ms Badenoch served as a junior minister in the treasury.
Born in south London, Ms Badenoch’s parents are of Nigerian origin. In 2017, she described herself as“ to all intents and purposes a first-generation immigrant.”
Ms Badenoch, who contested to be the UK prime minister, crashed out of the race in July. In her campaign, Ms Badenoch berated Nigerian politicians for being selfish and failing to serve their country. She also campaigned around tax cuts, low regulation, and attacking the UK’s net-zero target.
Meanwhile, James Cleverly, who served as education secretary since July, has been named as foreign minister.
“The Rt Hon James Cleverly MP @JamesCleverly has been appointed Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs @FCDOGovUK,” the prime minister’s Twitter handle announced.
Mr Cleverly attempted to be prime minister in 2019 after ex-prime minister Theresa May stepped down, but he was the first candidate to drop out of the race.
Between February and July, Mr Cleverly was appointed minister of state (minister for Europe and North America) in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
In 2020, Mr Cleverly was appointed as a joint minister of state in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development.
The appointment followed the shuffle in the cabinet since Ms Truss replaced Boris Johnson as the UK PM. Suella Braverman was appointed home secretary after Priti Patel resigned, and Therese Coffey was named health secretary.
On Tuesday, Ms Truss met with Queen Elizabeth, where she was officially recognised as the country’s third female prime minister after Theresa May and Margaret Thatcher.
She had served as Mr Johnson’s foreign secretary and won the election by 57 per cent, garnering 81,326 votes of Conservative Party members to become its leader. Former finance minister Rishi Sunak took 43 per cent with 60,399 votes.
Ms Truss is to meet with her senior ministers for an inaugural cabinet meeting today before addressing parliament.
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