Liz Truss reshuffle live: Kemi Badenoch and Jacob Rees-Mogg enter new cabinet

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Rees-Mogg will not take climate brief

Jacob Rees-Mogg will not take on the brief of minister for the climate, prompting speculation No 10 may have succumbed to pressure from green Tory MPs.

Graham Stuart has instead been appointed minister for the climate in the business department and will attend cabinet.

No 10 had originally planned to give Rees-Mogg the brief as part of his new role as business secretary, but is said to have faced opposition from MPs. Rees Mogg has also previously expressed scepticism about the scientific consensus on climate change and the UK’s net zero targets.

Updated at 19.20 EDT

Cabinet will “unify the party”, says prime minister’s spokesperson

The prime minister’s spokesperson has said her cabinet will unify the Conservative Party and deliver for the country.

A statement released this evening read: “The prime minister has appointed a cabinet which represents the depth and breadth of talent in the Conservative Party.

“Containing no fewer than five other candidates from the recent leadership election, this is a cabinet which will unify the party, get our economy growing and deliver for the British people.”

Of the newly-appointed cabinet ministers, Penny Mordaunt, Nadhim Zahawi, Suella Braverman, and Kemi Badenoch were all candidates in the leadership contest. Tom Tugendhat, who also ran, will attend cabinet as minister for security.

Former chancellor Rishi Sunak, who won the backing of 137 MPs before coming second to Truss in the members’ vote, does not feature, and nor do any of his supporters bar Michael Ellis, the new attorney general.

Updated at 19.07 EDT

James Heappey reappointed as armed forces minister

James Heappey has been reappointed as minister for the armed forces in the ministry of defence and will attend cabinet.

He has previously served as parliamentary undersecretary for defence procurement and is himself a former soldier, serving tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He will also serve as minister for veterans, replacing Johnny Mercer, whose wife responded to his sacking earlier today by taking to Twitter to brand Liz Truss an “imbecile”.

On the night that Liz Truss names her first cabinet (including the ministers of state who will attend cabinet meetings) our data team Michael Goodier, Carmen Aguilar García and Pamela Duncan have been looking for patterns in the 30 positions to have been announced to date.

Revenge4Rishi backers! But true blue Boris supporters in the Cabinet fold

Revenge may be a dish best served cold but it didn’t take long for Truss to plate it up for Rishi Sunak’s allies.

Not only has Truss not given her main contender for leader a position in her newly announced candidate, but only two MPs who had publicly declared for Rishi Sunak during the campaign has made it into the front benches either (the reappointed Secretary for Wales, Robert Buckland, who then switched to Liz Truss later in the campaign and the new Attorney General Michael Ellis).

All those who have been selected for cabinet positions also either made public statements supporting Boris at the time of his confidence vote among Tory MPs, or didn’t declare their vote in public.

Diversity

It’s official: the UK’s four most important offices of state do not feature a white man for the first time in history. Indeed if there is one area the Truss cabinet excels on it is representation of ethnic minorities: close to a quarter of the 30 positions announced tonight are BAME, compared with a national estimate of 13.7%.

However, the cabinet of the UK’s third ever female prime minister falls short on gender diversity: just 35% of Truss’s frontbenchers are women, compared to 51% of the population.

Education

Of the 30 names that have been announced (including the Prime Minister), just 11 haven’t received a private education (37%).

Is in keeping with Boris Johnson’s 2021 cabinet reshuffle and actually slightly better than his first and second cabinets after his first cabinet was announced in mid-2019 (64% privately educated) and that of his February 2020 reshuffle (65%).

However the number of Truss-appointed ministers who attended an independent school is more than double that in Theresa May’s first cabinet (30%), higher than David Cameron’s 2015 cabinet in 2015 and similar to the cabinet of the Coalition government in 2010 (62%).

Updated at 18.39 EDT

Tom Tugendhat appointed minister for security

Tom Tugendhat has been appointed minister for security in the Home Office and will attend cabinet.

He is currently chair of the foreign affairs select committee and also placed fifth in the Tory leadership race, winning the backing of 31 MPs.

Tugendhat was previously a soldier, completing tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and has been a vocal supporter of the military aid the UK has sent to Ukraine.

Vicky Ford appointed minister of state for development

Vicky Ford has been appointed minister of state for development in the Foreign Office and will attend cabinet.

She has previously served as parliamentary undersecretary of state for Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

Edward Argar appointed paymaster general

Edward Argar has been appointed paymaster general and minister for the Cabinet Office.

He has previously served as minister for health and parliamentary undersecretary of state for justice.

Truss reiterates “steadfast support for Ukraine’s freedom”

Liz Truss has said she reiterated the UK’s “steadfast support for Ukraine’s freedom and democracy” is a call this evening with President Zelenskiy.

“Russia’s attempts to weaponise energy must not deter the West,” she said. “Ukraine can depend on the UK for support in the long term.”

Michael Ellis appointed attorney general

Michael Ellis has been appointed attorney general, a step up from his two current roles as minister for the Cabinet Office and paymaster general.

He has previously served as socilitor general, transport minister, and deputy leader of the Commons.

Ellis has represented Northampton North since 2010. He opposed Brexit before the referendum and later supported the Brexit deal negotiated by Theresa May.

Chris Philp appointed chief secretary to the Treasury

Chris Philp has been appointed chief secretary to the Treasury, a promotion from his current role as parliamentery undersecretary for tech and the digital economy.

Robert Buckland reappointed as Wales secretary

Robert Buckland has been reappointed as secretary of state for Wales, a role he was given by Boris Johnson in July following the resignation of Simon Hart.

Buckland previously served as justice secretary and prisons minister. He also spent five years as solicitor general under David Cameron and Theresa May.

Alister Jack reappointed Scotland secretary

Alister Jack is to stay on as sectetary of state for Scotland, a role he’s had since the 2019 election.

Jack has repesented Dumfries and Galloway since 2017, when he won the seat from the SNP.

Chris Heaton-Harris appointed Northern Ireland secretary

Chris Heaton-Harris has been appointed Northern Ireland secretary, a promotion from his current role as minster for Europe. The move was announced on Twitter earlier by Conor Burns, a minister for Northern Ireland.

Heaton-Harris has represented Davnetry since 2010, and from 2010 to 2016 was chair of the pro-Brexit European Research Group. He has also served as transport minister and as deputy leader of the Commons.

Michelle Donelan appointed culture secretary

Michelle Donelan has been appointed secretary for culture, media, and sport.

She has previously served as minister for higher and further education.

In July, Boris Johnson appointed Donelan education secretary in place of Nadhim Zahawi, who had been made chancellor following the resignation of Rishi Sunak.

Two days later, Donelan also resigned, saying that Johnson had “put us in an impossible position” and becoming the shortest-serving cabinet member in British history.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan appointed transport secretary

Anne-Marie Trevelyan has been appointed secretary of state for transport.

For the last year she has been international trade secretary and she has previously served as international development sectetary.

Updated at 17.21 EDT

Ranil Jayawardena appointed environment secretary

Ranil Jayawardena has been appointed secertary of state for the environment, food and rural affairs, a promotion from his current role of parliamentary undersecretary for international trade.

Jayawardena has represented North East Hampshire since 2015 and previously served as deputy chairman of the Conservative Party. He supported Brexit in the referendum and in November 2018 resigned as a parliamentary private sectretary in the ministry of jusrice in protest over Theresa May’s Brexit deal.

Kit Malthouse appointed education secretary

Kit Malthouse has been appointed secretary of state for education, a promotion from his current role as chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster.

He previously served as minister for crime and policing, and was also deputy mayor for policing under Boris Johnson during Johnson’s time as mayor of London.

He has represented the constituency of North West Hampshire since 2015.

Chloe Smith appointed work and pensions secretary

Chloe Smith has been appointed secretary of state for work and pensions.

The move is a promotion from her previous role as minister for disabled people, work, and health in the same department. She has also previously been minister of state for the constitution and devolution.

She backed Remain in the Brexit referendum but in 2019 supported Boris Johnson for the party leadership.

Kemi Badenoch appointed international trade secretary

Kemi Badenoch has been appointed international trade secretary and president of the board of trade.

She has previously been a minister for local government and was also a breakthorough candidate in the race for the Tory leadership. She won the support of 59 MPs and much of the membership with a platform opposing so-called woke politics and calling for a slimmed-down state.

Born in London to Nigerian parents, she spent part of her childhood in Nigeria and the United States before moving back to the UK at 16. She worked as a banker and at the Spectator magazine before being elected to parliament in 2017.