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Rishi Sunak has appointed his cabinet after being asked by the King to form a new government.

The new prime minister promised to form a government of “all the talents” amid calls from senior Tories to appoint the best ministers available – rather than focusing on those who are loyal to him, as his two predecessors had done.

New PM – latest from Downing Street

Here’s who is in and out of Mr Sunak’s new government:

Who’s in?

Jeremy Hunt

Jeremy Hunt is keeping his job as chancellor, having reversed the majority of Liz Truss’s mini-budget which Mr Sunak warned would be detrimental to the economy just over a week ago.

Mr Hunt is seen as a steady hand, so keeping him could be an attempt to reassure the markets.

Mr Hunt is due to lay out plans for balancing the books with a fiscal statement on Monday.

His appointment could also be seen as political, as Mr Hunt had backed Mr Sunak in the last two leadership races.

James Cleverly foreign secretary

James Cleverly has been reappointed as foreign secretary.

He is the first Liz Truss backer to stay in post under the new prime minister, in what could be seen as a show of unity after months of divisive politics within the Conservative Party.

When Ms Truss resigned, Mr Cleverly initially came out in support of Boris Johnson’s return to the top job.

But after he gave up on his comeback, Mr Cleverly voiced support for Mr Sunak, saying he was the most experienced candidate for the job.

Ben Wallace

Although he backed Boris Johnson’s leadership bid, Ben Wallace has also kept his job as defence secretary.

He was one of the few cabinet secretaries to keep their job during the Johnson and Truss premierships.

It was not a given Mr Wallace would accept the job as Mr Sunak has not publicly committed to spending 3% of GDP on defence by 2030.

Mr Wallace had said that was a red line for him and would quit if that pledge by Liz Truss was not honoured.

Suella Braverman

Suella Braverman is back as home secretary less than a week she quit for breaching the ministerial code by sending classified documents from her personal email.

Her resignation came the day before Ms Truss followed her out of the door, and in an explosive letter to the former PM, she expressed “concerns about the direction of this government”, including its commitment to reducing immigration.

Ms Braverman has taken a tough stance on small boats crossing the Channel, and previously said it was her “dream” to see Rwanda deportation flights take off.

She is from the right wing of the partyand was not a natural Rishi Sunak supporter, announcing her backing of him late on Sunday.

Her appointment will be seen as trying to keep all wings of the party on board, while showing Mr Sunak’s intention to take a hard line on immigration.

However, it could raise eyebrows given the nature of her resignation and past controversial comments.

One of Ms Braverman’s most notable speeches during her short time as home secretarywas when she blamed protest disruption on the “tofu-eating wokerati”.

The shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, has criticised the appointment, accusing the Mr Sunak of putting “party before country”.

“Security is too important for this irresponsible Tory chaos,” she tweeted.

Penny Mordaunt

Penny Mordaunt, Mr Sunak’s two-time leadership rival, will be keeping her job as Commons Leader.

She had hoped to become prime minister, but was forced to bow out of the race at the last minute on Monday after failing to get the backing of enough MPs, leaving Mr Sunak as the only person in the race.

Sources close to her said that she had been hoping to be appointed as foreign secretary – so her appointment may come as a blow.

The main role of a Commons Leader is to organise government business.

Sky News Chief political correspondent Jon Craig says she didn’t look too happy with the “graveyard slot in the Commons” when leaving Number 10.

Dominic Raab

Dominic Raab has been appointed deputy PM and justice secretary,

The loyal supporter of Mr Sunak has been handed his old jobs back, having held them under Boris Johnson.

When the former prime minister was in hospital with Covid it was Mr Raab who ran the country.

However, he was demoted from foreign secretary to justice secretary last September following criticism of his handling the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

During the leadership race to replace Mr Johnson, Mr Raab had called Ms Truss’s tax plans “electoral suicide”, so it was no surprise when he returned to the backbenches during her premiership.

Now that he has returned to his former post, one of the most pressing challenges he faces is reducing backlogs in the courts.

Grant Shapps

Grant Shapps, who was drafted in to replace Ms Braverman as home secretary six days ago, has been appointed as business and energy secretary.

The Sunak ally has experience in cabinet, having served as transport secretary under Boris Johnson.

Michael Gove

Meanwhile, Michael Gove has been given his old job of levelling-up secretary three months after being sacked by Boris Johnson.

Mr Gove was one of the first cabinet ministers to wield the knife as support around Mr Johnson crumbled back in July.

His comeback could be a tactical move by Mr Sunak, as Mr Gove has not been shy about criticising the government from the backbenches.

Steve Barclay

Steve Barclay has been appointed health secretary taking over from Therese Coffey.

He had been Brexit secretary under Theresa May and served as health secretary over the summer in Mr Johnson’s interim cabinet.

Therese Coffey

Ms Coffey, a friend and ally of Liz Truss who was deputy prime minister and health secretary until today, has been appointed environment secretary.

Gillian Keegan becomes secretary of state for education and is the fifth person to hold this role in just over a year, following the sacking of Gavin Williamson last September.

He was replaced by Nadhim Zahawi, and then Michelle Donelan, who quit after just 36 hours in the role during the mass exodus from Mr Johnson’s’ government.

She was replaced by James Cleverly, now foreign secretary, and Kit Malthouse, who left his government role earlier today.

This is Ms Keegan’s first cabinet position.

Under Mr Johnson, she was the parliamentary under-secretary for apprenticeships and skills. She was then care and mental health minister in the health department and Ms Truss made her parliamentary under-secretary for Africa.

Kemi Badenoch

Kemi Badenoch, a former leadership candidate, has been reappointed as international trade secretary.

She is also minister for women and equalities.

Ms Badenoch, the MP for Saffron Walden, was first given the cabinet post by Liz Truss.

Simon Hart

Simon Hart has been appointed chief whip.

He is a popular MP in the party and a former Welsh secretary, who is a good communicator so a natural for the job.

The chief whip is in charge of party discipline, telling Tory MPs how they should vote on certain issues.

Mel Stride

Mel Stride has been promoted into the cabinet as work and pensions secretary. It is perhaps unsurprising after running Rishi Sunak’s campaign in the Tory leadership contest over the summer.

Mr Stride was instrumental in calling for an Office of Budget Responsibility forecast to go alongside Ms Truss’s spending plans after the turmoil caused by her mini-budget, and has called for benefits to rise in line with inflation.

Nadhim Zahawi

Nadhim Zahawi has been appointed Conservative Party chairman.

He was briefly chancellor under Boris Johnson after Mr Sunak resigned and famously called on Mr Johnson to quit days after accepting the top cabinet job.

He also served as a vaccines minister and education secretary under Mr Johnson, and he was the made Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster under Ms Truss.

His appointment as chairman may come as a surprise, as he had backed Mr Johnson to return as prime minister during the last leadership race just weeks after calling for him to go.

After Mr Johnson withdrew from the race, he voiced support for Mr Sunak.

His new role will see him attend cabinet meetings but he will not have a department.

Michelle Donelan

Michelle Donelan, a loyal Sunak supporter, has kept her job as secretary for digital, culture, media and sport.

The Chippenham MP was given the job by Ms Truss after taking over from Nadine Dorries, who Mr Johnson appointed.

She has previously signalled she could reverse Ms Dorries’s plan to privatise Channel 4, saying the case was being “re-examined”.

Ms Donelan, who became an MP alongside Mr Sunak in 2015, was education secretary for two days under MrJohnson.

He appointed her after a wave of cabinet resignations in July but she quit as, she said, Mr Johnson had “put us in an impossible position”.

Before that she was a government whip, parliamentary under-secretary for children then universities minister before becoming minister for higher and further education, where she attended cabinet.

Chris Heaton Harris

Chris Heaton-Harris has been reappointed as Northern Ireland secretary.

He was first appointed to this role by Ms Truss at the start of September.

He has one of the more difficult portfolios, given the collapsed executive in Northern Ireland – where another election could soon be triggered – and disputes with the EU over post-Brexit trading arrangements.

Alister Jack

Alister Jack is keeping his job as Scotland secretary, a post he has held since July 2019.

David TC Davies

David TC Davies, the Wales minister since 2019, has been promoted to Wales secretary, taking over from Robert Buckland who resigned this morning

Mr Davies, the MP for Monmouth since 2005, chaired the Welsh Affairs Committee from 2010 to 2019.

Oliver Dowden

Mr Sunak’s closest political friend Oliver Dowden becomes Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

He will be Mr Sunak’s ears and eyes in the Cabinet Office, which supports the PM and the cabinet, and ensures the effective running of government.

Earlier this year he resigned as party chairman after a disastrous double by-election loss under Mr Johnson.

Former whip Mark Harper’s support has been rewarded with the role of transport secretary.

He replaces Anne-Marie Trevelyan who backed Mr Johnson in the race a few days ago.

Another of Mr Sunak’s allies, John Glen, becomes chief secretary to the Treasury.

Work and pensions minister Victoria Prentis takes up the role of attorney general, and former home office minister Jeremy Quin becomes paymaster general.

Tom Tugendhat has been re-appointed as security minister and Johnny Mercer will return to the role of veterans’ affairs minister.

Sir Gavin Williamson returns to government as a minister without portfolio. He was kicked out of government in 2019 when serving as defence secretary over a National Security Council leak and was sacked as education secretary in 2021 for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on schools.

Another to return to cabinet is the former housing secretary Robert Jenrick who becomes minister for immigration.

Who’s out:

Before Mr Sunak announced key posts, a number of Ms Truss’s cabinet announced they were leaving government.

Jacob Rees-Mogg

Jacob Rees-Mogg kicked off the resignations on Tuesday, leaving his post as business secretary.

A close ally of both Mr Johnson and Ms Truss, he had earlier said he was not expecting to serve in Mr Sunak’s cabinet.

Mr Rees-Mogg called Mr Sunak a “socialist” during the summer’s Conservative Party leadership race because he refused to commit to the same level of tax cuts as Ms Truss, although today he backed down on those comments.

In his resignation letter, he wished Mr Sunak “every success” but added: “It is time to go. In the interests of the nation, the Conservative Party must unite under your leadership and I shall do all I can to support you.”

Brandon Lewis

Brandon Lewis, resigned as justice secretary, saying Mr Sunak has his “support from the backbenches”.

“Our party is at a crossroads,” he said in his resignation letter to the prime minister, adding that it is time to “reunite and rebuild”.

Robert Buckland

Robert Buckland is out as Welsh secretary, and wrote on Twitter that he was leaving “at my request”.

Mr Buckland initially supported Mr Sunak in the summer, but swapped to Ms Truss.

Jake Berry

Jake Berry said it was an “honour” to serve as Conservative Party chairman but “all good things must come to an end”.

Kit Malthouse

Kit Malthouse, the fourth education secretary this year, tweeted: “As I leave the DfE, I do so with profound gratitude to officials, my private office team and brilliant advisers, who all worked so hard.

“I hope my successor can harness their commitment to the most important mission in Whitehall: the future and welfare of our children.”

Chloe Smith

Chole Smith is also out as secretary of state for work and pensions. She was a big ally of Ms Truss, and had been reviewing whether to increase benefits in line with inflation.

Ranil Jayawardena

Ranil Jayawardena is also out as environment secretary.

He wrote to Mr Sunak: “I know that you wish for a new team to join you in HM government, so I write to stand aside.”

He added that he is “sure that HM government will continue to deliver, and you will have my support in doing so”.

Simon Clarke

The levelling-up Secretary Simon Clarke also left his role. He said it was a “great privilege” to serve in the department, as well as in his previous role as chief secretary to the Treasury.

Mr Clarke was one of Liz Truss’s most vocal supporters during the summer.

He tweeted: “My loyalty to @trussliz and @BorisJohnson was sincere to the last and I appreciate deeply the opportunity they gave me. But I meant every word that I said yesterday: @Conservatives must unite under our new PM and should all work to ensure @RishiSunak succeeds. He has my support.”

Wendy Morton

The chief whip Wendy Morton has also left the government, writing on Twitter that she is “heading to the backbenches”.

Her exit is perhaps unsurprising, as Ms Morton presided over a chaotic parliamentary party under Ms Truss’s premiership.

Her short time in the role culminated in farcical scenes during a Commons vote on fracking the night before Ms Truss announced her resignation, with claims of MPs being “bullied” into voting with the government.

Vicky Ford

Foreign minister Vicky Ford has also left the government. She said “space was needed to bring in new talent”.

She added: “I think that Rishi will make a very good government from all different parts of the party.

“Some of us need to move on in order to make sure he’s got room to bring in some really good talent from all across the party.”

Alok Sharma

Alok Sharma has left as minister of state at the cabinet office. He will remain COP26 president and will negotiate on behalf of the UK at COP27.

The Green MP Caroline Lucas condemned his departure from the cabinet table, saying it was an “utterly shameful” move “just weeks before one of the most important global climate summits in a generation at #COP27 in Egypt”.

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Trump admits tariffs ‘disturbance’ as China says it is ‘ready for any type of war’ with US

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Trump admits tariffs 'disturbance' as China says it is 'ready for any type of war' with US

Donald Trump has admitted his tariffs on major trading partners will cause “a little disturbance” – as China said it was “ready” for “any type of war” with the US.

The US president made his comments in an address to Congress, hours after the levies on imports came into effect.

Producers in Mexico and Canada have been hit with a 25% tax on items they export to the US, while a 20% tariff has been applied to Chinese imports.

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Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.
Pic:Reuters/AP
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Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The US president has admitted his tariffs will cause ‘a little disturbance’ – as China responds. Pic: Reuters/AP

Stock markets, which Mr Trump is said to pay close attention to, slid on the tariffs news.

Exporters in the affected countries as well as businesses in the US and economists have raised concerns about the potential price-raising impact of the tariffs.

Making imports more expensive will likely make goods more expensive and could push prices up across the board.

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Trump’s Congress speech unwrapped

Concern over threat to interest rates

A cycle of high inflation could lead to interest rates being higher for longer in the US, the world’s largest economy, which could dampen economic activity.

A slowed US economy would have global consequences but even without a hit to the States, there are fears of a global trade war – in which countries add their own trade barriers in the form of tariffs.

The Chinese embassy in the US posted on X: “If war is what the US wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end.”

China imposes retaliatory tariffs

The president, however, said he was “just getting started” after 43 days into his second term.

China and Canada have retaliated with their own tariffs against the US.

From next week China will add its own 15% levy on a range of agricultural products such as chicken, wheat, corn and cotton.

An extra 10% will be added to soya beans, pork, beef, fruit, vegetables and dairy products imports.

The country has also raised additional complaints against the US with the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Read more:
Beijing’s patience is running thin
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Political division in US has never looked like this

Speaking to Sky News presenter Yalda Hakim the US former deputy national security advisor Matt Pottinger said Chinese president Xi Jinping was turning the Chinese economy “into a wartime economy”

“He’s preparing his economy for war so that it can withstand the shocks of war,” he said on The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim podcast

“That means he’s willing to undergo massive inefficiencies in the economy. He’s willing to stockpile food that otherwise would flow easily and more cheaply in from foreign vessels.”

“He’s stockpiling copper and all kinds of inputs into the economy. He is making sure that the private sector is wholly aligned with his broad goals, which are about increasing the Chinese Communist Party’s control over the economy and creating a bigger, better defence industrial base,” Mr Pottinger said.

“He’s preparing for war.”

👉Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim on your podcast app👈

Compromise ‘as early as Wednesday’?

Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau said his country was launching its own WTO challenge and described the US tariffs as a “dumb thing to do”.

He also warned the move by the Trump administration would impact American workplaces and add to inflation in the US.

Addressing the American public, he said: “We don’t want this… but your government has chosen to do this to you.”

Canada has announced the imposition of 25% tariffs on US imports worth C$30bn (£16.3bn).

But US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick struck a different note on tariffs and on Monday said the president will “probably” announce a compromise with Canada and Mexico as early as Wednesday.

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China’s patience with Donald Trump is running out – as trade war rhetoric ramps up

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China's patience with Donald Trump is running out - as trade war rhetoric ramps up

China’s premier has warned “changes unseen in a century are unfolding across the world” as a trade war with the US intensifies.

Li Qiang was speaking in parliament – a day after Washington slapped another 10% tariff on Chinese goods.

Beijing has responded with 10% to 15% tariffs on US food and agricultural products.

“Global economic growth lacks steam, unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise… the multilateral trading system is experiencing disruptions and tariff barriers continue to increase,” Premier Li added.

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‘Whatever they tariff us, we will tariff them’

The Chinese Embassy in the US has also dialled up the pressure, writing on X: “If war is what the US wants, be it tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end.”

This statement was first made by China’s ministry of foreign affairs on Tuesday. The fact that China has repeated it two days in a row is significant.

It is a pointed message to the US that China’s patience is running out – and its rhetoric about the tit-for-tat tariffs is growing harsher. It has called the tariff war “pressure”, “blackmail”, a “smear campaign” and “shifting the blame”.

But Mr Trump loves imposing tariffs on China and appears convinced the pressure will work. He blames China for exporting the chemical precursors used to make fentanyl, which has fuelled the US opioid epidemic.

Meanwhile, China is facing severe economic challenges at home, with the country setting a growth target of “about 5%” for this year.

The government’s work report said a major task this year is to boost consumption and domestic demand.

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Why are tariffs such a big deal?

The problem in China is people aren’t spending enough money, instead they are cautiously saving. One reason for this is the weakness of China’s social welfare system. People save their money in case they lose their job, or to pay for health and elderly care.

The government says it wants to make domestic demand the engine of growth by turning several cities into “international consumption centres” – and expanding its trade-in system to encourage people to buy new products for the home.

Shopping aside, thousands of delegates from provinces across China attended including high-profile figures like former basketball star Yao Ming, and Lei Jun, who co-founded the electric vehicle manufacturing company Xiaomi.

After the session, delegates streamed into the square outside the Great Hall of the People. It is a chance to get their thoughts on the country’s future.

Congress delegate Liu Hui said: “I think tariffs will have little impact on China because we treat others the way they treat us.”

Another delegate from Shaanxi province, Song Yaping, is proud of China’s hi-tech prowess and said: “Our technology develops so fast, just look at DeepSeek, look at how fast our AI develops.”

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How Trump’s tariffs could cost consumers here
Analysis: The US may now be in a recession

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Peace in Europe, war with China?

Despite the confidence, the trade war is deepening.

In the factory heartland of Guangzhou in southern China, a glassware exporter is bracing for the impact of the latest Trump tariffs.

Marketing manager Anna said: “I think the people will discuss these tariffs and of course 10% is a huge number. Some companies can’t make a profit from this.

“But we can’t change it. We just have to get used to it and let it be.”

Still, letting it be is not easy in a world where it feels like everything is changing fast.

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Tesla charging stations set on fire as backlash against Elon Musk intensifies

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Tesla charging stations set on fire as backlash against Elon Musk intensifies

Tesla charging stations have been set on fire in the US state of Massachusetts as a backlash against Elon Musk grows.

Demonstrators have been protesting against his close ties to Donald Trump and embrace of far-right politicians around the world.

Officers and firefighters rushed to The Point Shopping Center near Boston and found the charging stations “engulfed in flames and heavy, dark smoke”.

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Musk says he’s getting ‘death threats’

Police said seven charging stations were damaged and the “fire appears to have been intentionally set”, but no injuries were reported.

Musk, the billionaire chief executive of Tesla, now heads up the president’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Mr Musk has overseen the firing of thousands of government employees in recent weeks.

The world’s richest man and his companies have been targeted since he made what looked like a Nazi salute at Mr Trump’s inauguration, with analysts saying Tesla’s car sales have fallen.

Elon Musk gestures at the podium inside the Capital One arena.
Pic: Reuters
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Elon Musk making the gesture. Pic: Reuters

Tesla cars have been vandalised – and a woman was arrested after being accused of trying to burn down a Tesla dealership in Colorado.

Some owners have put stickers on their cars announcing: “I bought it before Elon went nuts.”

Mr Musk has also faced a backlash in Europe, where he has urged supporters of a German far-right party to move beyond their “past guilt”, called for the release of jailed far-right activist Tommy Robinson, and described Sir Keir Starmer as an “evil tyrant”.

Read more from Sky News:
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A suspected arson attack caused a power outage and led to production being halted at a Tesla plant in the German state of Brandenburg, while an image of Musk making a straight-armed salute was also projected on a Tesla factory outside Berlin.

In London a poster at a bus stop featured a similar image and branded Teslas as “the swasticar”.

Musk’s political activism impacting sales

Tesla saw its European sales figures drop by 45% in January, according to research firm Jato Dynamics, with sales in Germany and France down by about 60%.

Senior analyst Felipe Munoz told Sky News “it’s hard to tell exactly how much his activism is impacting sales” – but said it was clear his “active role in politics” was “having an impact” on the company.

Some of the decline may be linked to prospective buyers holding off buying the latest version of Tesla’s bestseller, the Model Y, with a new version due to be released later this year.

But Mr Munoz said sales of the Model 3 had seen a “worrying” drop despite there being no reason for buyers to wait.

A protester outside a Tesla showroom in Seattle in February. Pic: AP
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A protester outside a Tesla showroom in Seattle in February. Pic: AP


Democrats protest in Congress with ‘Musk steals’ signs

In a lengthy address to Congress on Tuesday, Mr Trump praised Mr Musk’s work, prompting two standing ovations from Republicans in the chamber.

The president made exaggerated claims about alleged government abuse Mr Musk and his team had uncovered – prompting Democrats to wave signs reading “false” and “Musk steals”.

Democrats hold up placards during Trump's speech. Pic: Reuters
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Democrats held protest signs during the speech. Pic: Reuters

Since Mr Trump’s inauguration, Tesla’s stock has fallen by 37% – representing a loss of $550bn (£429bn).

Mr Munoz, said the long-term impact of the anger with Mr Musk may be easier to see in a few months.

He added: “Most of the drivers care about the car, they don’t care about what the manager or owner of the company thinks, as long as their car doesn’t break.”

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