RISHI Sunak’s new Cabinet was branded “the stuff of nightmares” and “Halloween come early” last night as he announced the return of Suella Braverman and Michael Gove, while keeping Jeremy Hunt as Chancellor.
On his first day as Prime Minister, Sunak culled nearly a dozen of Liz Truss’s top-tier ministers, including Jacob Rees-Mogg, before reviving the careers of ousted frontbenchers.
Braverman returned as Home Secretary six days after launching an attack on Truss after being forced from the role over a breach of the Ministerial Code.
Dominic Raab won the positions of Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary, roles he held under Boris Johnson before being sacked by Truss.
Gove, the chief rebel behind Truss’s U-turn on the top rate of income tax, returned to the Levelling Up Secretary role he was dismissed from after telling Johnson to quit.
Steve Barclay, who supported both of Sunak’s bids for the Tory leadership, became Health Secretary, returning to the role he lost under Truss.
Alister Jack remains in the role of Secretary of State for Scotland, following speculation that he would be replaced by Sunak supporter and fellow Scottish Tory MP Andrew Bowie.
Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater said: “Halloween has come early with some of these announcements. It is the stuff of nightmares. They are the same old Tories who will follow the same failed policies that led to the mess we’re in.
“Jeremy Hunt has already warned that nothing will be off the table when it comes to cuts, while Suella Braverman has talked about her
‘obsession’ with deportation flights to Rwanda. Many of them have been in power over the last 12 years, and have been instrumental in making our economy weaker and ordinary lives more precarious.
“They will talk about ‘tough choices’ and ‘difficult decisions’. But what they really mean is an economy that works for their wealthy friends and a toxic mix of cuts and punishment for the most vulnerable, who will be made to pay the price for their reckless Brexit and economic failures.
“Scotland didn’t vote for this. There absolutely needs to be an election, so that we can finally remove this chaotic government. But we also need a fair and democratic referendum and the chance to take our future into our own hands and build a fairer, greener and independent future at the heart of Europe.”
Johnson loyalists who stayed close to Truss were among the 11 ministers who were out of government, while Sunak rewarded his allies with Cabinet roles.
Grant Shapps was demoted from the top of the Home Office to Business Secretary to allow Braverman’s return, as Kemi Badenoch clung on to Trade Secretary. Penny Mordaunt came out of the reshuffle as Commons Leader, failing to win a promotion after she challenged Sunak for the leadership.
Allies of Sunak benefited, with Mel Stride appointed Work and Pensions Secretary and Oliver Dowden becoming Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, having resigned as party chairman after a disastrous double by-election loss under Johnson.
Therese Coffey, one of Truss’s closest friends in Westminster, was demoted from deputy prime minister and health secretary to become Environment Secretary. James Cleverly was kept on as Foreign Secretary and Ben Wallace as Defence Secretary, showing Sunak was not entirely breaking with the past two administrations.
Kit Malthouse and Simon Clarke followed Rees-Mogg out of the Cabinet as loyalists of Johnson who stuck by Truss. Tory chairman Jake Berry and chief whip Wendy Morton also departed.
Jack, who did not nominate a candidate during the leadership election to succeed Truss, had previously refused to say whether he backed either Sunak or Truss in the Tory leadership election to succeed Johnson following his resignation during the summer.
He said he was “very pleased” to have been reappointed, adding: “We need to bring stability to our economy and our public finances, deliver long-term prosperity ... and continue to sustain and strengthen the Union.”
