Theresa May`s Cabinet

Truss to Justice, Amber-Home, Boris Johnson to Foreign: Gove, Morgan, Whittingdale out

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Michael Gove has been sacked as justice secretary and replaced by Liz Truss as Theresa May forms her new government, in her first full day as UK PM. Education Secretary Nicky Morgan has also gone, replaced by ex-international development secretary Justine Greening.Culture Secretary John Whittingdale has been sacked, while Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has stayed in his post.On Wednesday Boris Johnson was made foreign secretary in a surprise move by Mrs May. Philip Hammond is chancellor.Among Wednesday’s other cabinet appointments, Amber Rudd took over Mrs May’s former role as home secretary, Eurosceptic David Davis was made Brexit secretary and Liam Fox took up a new post of secretary of state for international trade. Michael Fallon was retained as defence secretary. Mr Gove – who was one of the leading figures in the campaign to leave the EU – stood for the Conservative leadership, but was eliminated in the final round of voting by MPs in third place.His surprise move to stand for the leadership and therefore to become prime minister effectively dashed Mr Johnson’s hopes of running. His replacement at the Ministry of Justice, Ms Truss, was previously secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs. Meanwhile, new Education Secretary Ms Greening’s department is to also take on higher and further education, skills and apprenticeships. Ms Greening said she “absolutely delighted” at her appointment.Earlier, the new chancellor, Mr Hammond, said there would be “no emergency Budget” when asked about his first priorities as chancellor. His predecessor George Osborne warned during the EU referendum campaign that he would have to cut public spending and increase taxes in an emergency Budget if there was a vote for Brexit. Mr Hammond said he would make “carefully considered decisions over the summer”, followed by an Autumn Statement “in the normal way”. In a move that surprised the political world, Mrs May put Mr Johnson – one of the most prominent figures of the campaign to leave the EU – in charge of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Mr Johnson, who has said he is “very humbled” and “very proud” at the appointment, is no stranger to controversy – or gaffes – on the international stage. Media caption Boris Johnson: “I’m very humbled, very proud to be offered this chance” During the EU referendum campaign, he drew criticism for comments he made about US President Barack Obama, who he said had an “ancestral dislike” of the UK because of his “part-Kenyan” heritage.In 2015, Mr Johnson had to cancel planned public events in the West Bank because of security fears after he criticised backers of a boycott on Israeli goods, and he has previously described Hilary Clinton – US presidential hopeful – as having “a steely blue stare, like a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital”.The cabinet appointment throws Mr Johnson a lifeline after a turbulent couple of weeks which saw his Tory leadership bid torpedoed by Justice Secretary and fellow Brexit campaigner Mr Gove.Whenever she happens to be near a microphone, Theresa May tends to say – absolutely truthfully it appears – that she just wants to “get on with the job”.Well she certainly has done that, wasting no time in announcing the most senior jobs in her cabinet, the first appointment only an hour or so after she walked in.No surprise on appointment one – Philip Hammond, the former foreign secretary, becomes the money man. He’s the embodiment of the phrase, “a safe pair of hands”, and takes on the biggest role as Mrs May’s supporter.The biggest surprise is the appointment of Boris Johnson, the Tory members’ darling, as the foreign secretary – one of the greatest offices of state, with a hugely different role as the UK contemplates life outside the EU.On Wednesday, Mr Johnson told the BBC: “Clearly now we have a massive opportunity in this country to make a great success of our relationship with Europe and with the world and I’m very excited to be asked to play a part in that.”However, Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron predicted the new foreign secretary would “spend more time apologising to nations he’s offended” than carrying out the job.Asked for his view of Mr Johnson’s appointment, Mr Hammond told BBC Radio 4’s Today: “We’ve got a range of different characters and a range of different styles and a range of different talents.”Media captionChancellor Philip Hammond says UK economy is entering a “new phase”The chancellor also told Today the UK economy was entering “a new phase” because of the vote to leave the EU, which he said had had a “chilling” short-term effect on the economy.”It has shaken confidence and caused many businesses to pause investment decisions that they were making,” he said.He said the government now needed to “send signals of reassurance about the future as quickly and as powerful as we can”.The chancellor also said he believed in the need to reduce the deficit further, but that the government must look again at “how and at when and at what pace”, in the light of the new circumstances faced by the economy.Mrs May has spoken to European leaders to express her “commitment to delivering the will of the British people to leave the European Union”, according to a Downing Street spokesman.In a series of congratulatory phone calls taken by Mrs May, the UK’s second female prime minister spoke to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny.”The prime minister explained that we would need some time to prepare for these negotiations and spoke of her hope that these could be conducted in a constructive and positive spirit,” a Downing Street spokesman added.In her first speech as prime minister outside Downing Street, Mrs May vowed to lead a government that works for all, not just the “privileged few”.She promised to give people who were “just managing” and “working around the clock” more control over their lives.Media captionKey moments from a landmark day in politicsFor an “ordinary working class family”, she added, “life is much harder than many people in Westminster realise”.She highlighted the “precious bond” between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and between “every one of us”.Mrs May also paid tribute to her predecessor David Cameron, saying he had been “a great modern prime minister”.As he left Downing Street for the final time as prime minister, Mr Cameron said he job had been “the greatest honour” of his life and that the UK was “much stronger” than when he took over.

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