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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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A conversation with historian Sir Niall Ferguson on Trump, tariffs and China

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A conversation with historian Sir Niall Ferguson on Trump, tariffs and China

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

Richard and Yalda are joined by one of the world’s most eminent historians and political commentators to discuss culture wars, trade wars, and the possibility of World War Three over Taiwan.

Sir Niall says the US may be in the stage of “buyer’s remorse” with the Trump presidency, and predicts that by this time next year, he could be “deeply underwater” in the polls.

To get in touch or to share questions for Richard and Yalda, email theworld@sky.uk

Click here to visit their YouTube channel where you can watch all the episodes.

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Episodes of The World With Richard Engel And Yalda Hakim will be available every Wednesday on all podcast platforms.

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World

In the idyllic Cognac region of southern France, Trump’s tariffs threaten a centuries-old way of life

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In the idyllic Cognac region of southern France, Trump's tariffs threaten a centuries-old way of life

The impact of Trump’s tariffs is reaching deep into every economy.

We travelled into the French rural heartland, heading for Cognac – the home of French brandy.

It is only half the size of Surrey but its exports to America are worth €1bn a year and that trade is now severely threatened.

The first buds are out on the vines of Amy Pasquet’s vineyard.

An American, she has married into the industry and with her French husband owns JLP Cognac.

She knows more than most the bond brandy has formed between their two countries that goes back to the war.

Tariffs latest: Follow live updates

More from World

Ms Pasquet said: “A lot of the African-American soldiers had really loved their experience here and had brought back the cognac. And I think that stayed because this African-American community truly is a community and they want to drink like their grandfather did.”

The ties remain with rappers like Jay Z’s love for cognac.

However, Ms Pasquet adds: “There’s also this other community of people who have been drinking bourbon for a long time, love bourbon, but find the prices just outrageous today. So they want to try something different.”

Amy Pasquet owns JLP Cognac with her husband
Image:
Amy Pasquet owns JLP Cognac with her husband

JLP’s products were served at New York’s prestigious Met Gala.

They were preparing to launch new product lines in the US. But now that’s in doubt.

It is hard being an American in France now, Ms Pasquet says.

Her French neighbours are appalled by what US President Donald Trump is doing.

She continues: “They’re like, okay, America’s forgotten how close France and America are as far as (their) relationship is concerned. And I think that’s hurtful on both sides. I think it’s important to remember that the US is many things, and not just this one person, and there are millions of inhabitants that didn’t vote for him.”

aaa

A fresh challenge for a centuries-old tradition

Making cognac takes years, using techniques that go back centuries. In another vineyard we met Pierre Louis Giboin whose family have been doing it for more than 200 years.

In a cellar dating back to the French Revolution, barrels of oak sit under thick cobwebs, ageing the brandy.

The walls are lined with a unique black mould that thrives off the vapours of cognac.

They have seen threats come and go over those centuries, wars, weather, pestilence. But never from a country they regard as one of their oldest allies and best of customers.

Read more:
What China could do next as Trump’s tariff war
How tariffs will affect your money

Could Trump’s tariffs tip the world into recession?

Pierre Louis Giboin's family has been making cognac for centuries
Image:
Pierre Louis Giboin’s cellar dates back to the French revolution

Mr Trump’s tariffs, says Mr Giboin, now threaten a way of life.

“It’s at the end of like very good times in the Cognac region. It’s been like 10 years when everything’s been perfect, we have good harvest, we sell really easily all the stock, but now I mean it’s the end.”

Ms Pasquet and Mr Giboin are unusual.

Most cognac makers sell their produce through the drink’s four big houses, Hennessy, Remy Martin, Martell and Courvoisier.

Some have been told the amounts they can sell have been drastically reduced.

Independents though like them must find new markets if the tariff threat persists.

Confusion away from the chaos

Outside in the dappled light of a Cognac evening Mr Giboin and I toast glasses of pineau – the diluted form of cognac drunk as an aperitif.

In this idyllic corner of France, a world away from Washington, Mr Trump’s trade war on Europe simply makes no sense.

“He’s like angry against the whole world and the way he talks like that Europe the EU was made against the US to cheat on the US. It’s just crazy to think like this,” Mr Giboin says.

It’s not just what Mr Trump’s done. It’s how Europe now strikes back that concerns the French. And it’s not just in Cognac where they’re concerned

France exports more than €2bn worth of wine to America.

In the heart of the Bordeaux wine region, Sylvie Courselle’s family have been making wine since the 1940s at their Chateau Thieuley vineyard.

It’s bottling season but they can’t prepare the wine headed for America while everything is up in the air.

Showing me the unused reels of US labels for her wine she told me she was losing sleep over the uncertainty.

Later she was meeting with her American distributors.

Gerry Keogh sells Ms Courselle’s wine across the US.

He says the entire industry is reeling

Sylvie Courselle with distributers
Image:
Sylvie Courselle with distributers

The Chateau Thieuley vineyard in the Bordeaux wine region
Image:
The Chateau Thieuley vineyard in the Bordeaux wine region

“I think it’s like anything. You don’t really believe it’s happening. And even when you’re in the midst of it, it was kind of like 9/11.

“You’re like… This is actually happening. It’s unbelievable. And when you start seeing the repercussions from the stock market, et cetera, and how it’s impacting every level, it’s quite shocking.”

They know the crisis is far from over and could now escalate.

“We feel stuck in the middle of this commercial war and we don’t have the weapons to fight, I think,” Ms Courselle said.

It is, she says, very stressful.

Jerry Keogh
Image:
Gerry Keogh

aaaaa

The histories of America and France have been intertwined for centuries through revolutions against tyranny and two wars fighting for liberty.

America used to call France its oldest ally, but under Donald Trump its now seen here as turning on France and the rest of Europe in a reckless and unjustified trade war.

It is all doing enormous harm to relations between the US and its European allies.

How Europe now decides to retaliate will help determine the extent of that damage.

Continue Reading

World

In the idyllic Cognac region of southern France, Trump’s tariffs threaten a centuries-old way of life

Published

on

By

In the idyllic Cognac region of southern France, Trump's tariffs threaten a centuries-old way of life

The impact of Trump’s tariffs is reaching deep into every economy.

We travelled into the French rural heartland, heading for Cognac – the home of French brandy.

It is only half the size of Surrey but its exports to America are worth €1bn a year and that trade is now severely threatened.

The first buds are out on the vines of Amy Pasquet’s vineyard.

An American, she has married into the industry and with her French husband owns JLP Cognac.

She knows more than most the bond brandy has formed between their two countries that goes back to the war.

Tariffs latest: Follow live updates

More from World

Ms Pasquet said: “A lot of the African-American soldiers had really loved their experience here and had brought back the cognac. And I think that stayed because this African-American community truly is a community. and they want to drink like their grandfather did.”

The ties remain with rappers like Jay Z’s love for cognac.

However, Ms Pasquet adds: “There’s also this other community of people who have been drinking bourbon for a long time, love bourbon, but find the prices just outrageous today. So they want to try something different.”

Amy Pasquet owns JLP Cognac with her husband
Image:
Amy Pasquet owns JLP Cognac with her husband

JLP’s products were served at New York’s prestigious Met Gala.

They were preparing to launch new product lines in the US. But now that’s in doubt.

It is hard being an American in France now, Ms Pasquet says.

Her French neighbours are appalled by what US President Donald Trump is doing.

She continues: “They’re like, okay, America’s forgotten how close France and America are as far as (their) relationship is concerned. And I think that’s hurtful on both sides. I think it’s important to remember that the US is many things, and not just this one person, and there are millions of inhabitants that didn’t vote for him.”

aaa

A fresh challenge for a centuries-old tradition

Making cognac takes years, using techniques that go back centuries. In another vineyard we met Pierre Louis Giboin whose family have been doing it for more than 200 years.

In a cellar dating back to the French Revolution, barrels of oak sit under thick cobwebs, ageing the brandy.

The walls are lined with a unique black mould that thrives off the vapours of cognac.

They have seen threats come and go over those centuries, wars, weather, pestilence. But never from a country they regard as one of their oldest allies and best of customers.

Read more:
What China could do next as Trump’s tariff war
How tariffs will affect your money

Could Trump’s tariffs tip the world into recession?

Pierre Louis Giboin's family has been making cognac for centuries
Image:
Pierre Louis Giboin’s cellar dates back to the French revolution

Mr Trump’s tariffs, says Mr Giboin, now threaten a way of life.

“It’s at the end of like very good times in the Cognac region. It’s been like 10 years when everything’s been perfect, we have good harvest, we sell really easily all the stock, but now I mean it’s the end.”

Ms Pasquet and Mr Giboin are unusual.

Most cognac makers sell their produce through the drink’s four big houses, Hennessy, Remy Martin, Martell and Courvoisier.

Some have been told the amounts they can sell have been drastically reduced.

Independents though like them must find new markets if the tariff threat persists.

Confusion away from the chaos

Outside in the dappled light of a Cognac evening Mr Giboin and I toast glasses of pineau – the diluted form of cognac drunk as an aperitif.

In this idyllic corner of France, a world away from Washington, Mr Trump’s trade war on Europe simply makes no sense.

“He’s like angry against the whole world and the way he talks like that Europe the EU was made against the US to cheat on the US. It’s just crazy to think like this,” Mr Giboin says.

It’s not just what Mr Trump’s done. It’s how Europe now strikes back that concerns the French. And it’s not just in Cognac where they’re concerned

France exports more than €2bn worth of wine to America.

In the heart of the Bordeaux wine region, Sylvie Courselle’s family have been making wine since the 1940s at their Chateau Thieuley vineyard.

It’s bottling season but they can’t prepare the wine headed for America while everything is up in the air.

Showing me the unused reels of US labels for her wine she told me she was losing sleep over the uncertainty.

Later she was meeting with her American distributors.

Gerry Keogh sells Ms Courselle’s wine across the US.

He says the entire industry is reeling

Sylvie Courselle with distributers
Image:
Sylvie Courselle with distributers

The Chateau Thieuley vineyard in the Bordeaux wine region
Image:
The Chateau Thieuley vineyard in the Bordeaux wine region

“I think it’s like anything. You don’t really believe it’s happening. And even when you’re in the midst of it, it was kind of like 9/11.

“You’re like… This is actually happening. It’s unbelievable. And when you start seeing the repercussions from the stock market, et cetera, and how it’s impacting every level, it’s quite shocking.”

They know the crisis is far from over and could now escalate.

“We feel stuck in the middle of this commercial war and we don’t have the weapons to fight, I think,” Ms Courselle said.

It is, she says, very stressful.

Jerry Keogh
Image:
Gerry Keogh

aaaaa

The histories of America and France have been intertwined for centuries through revolutions against tyranny and two wars fighting for liberty.

America used to call France its oldest ally, but under Mr Trump it is now being as turned on, as France, along with the rest of Europe, finds itself in what many would argue is a reckless and unjustified trade war.

It is all doing enormous harm to relations between the US and its European allies.

How Europe now decides to retaliate will help determine the extent of that damage.

Continue Reading

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