Rishi Sunak urged to overhaul the cabinet as he begins his first day as PM

Published

2 years ago

October 25, 2022

admin

Rishi Sunak is being urged to overhaul the cabinet on his first day as prime minister.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly told Sky News that the new PM’s government should feature the best ministers available – rather than focusing on those who are loyal.

“We have got to have the first 15 on the pitch. I know that Rishi understands that,” Mr Cleverly said.

Reshuffle rumours as some Tory members said to be ‘fuming’ – new PM latest

Mr Sunak’s team are keeping tight-lipped about any potential reshuffle moves – but Sky News understands that recently appointed Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is likely to keep his job.

The new prime minister will be officially appointed by King Charles this morning, and is set to make a public address in front of Number 10 before lunchtime.

Sky News will have full coverage of Mr Sunak’s first day in the job – and you can find out more details of today’s key timings here.

Reports suggest he is planning to build a cabinet of “all the talents” that will see the political return of the “adults”.

Long-time backers of Mr Sunak – including ex-justice secretary Dominic Raab, Commons treasury committee chair Mel Stride and ex-chief whip Mark Harper – are tipped to be in the cabinet, as well as former party chairman Oliver Dowden.

Many of the most senior posts are expected to go to those who have consistently supported him – including when he lost to Ms Truss in the last Conservative leadership race that began just three months ago.

Newly appointed Home Secretary Grant Shapps will be hoping to keep his job after backing Mr Sunak both in July and in recent days.

Mr Hunt is widely expected to remain in Number 11 as he works towards a highly anticipated fiscal statement on Halloween, as part of attempts to stabilise jittery markets.

But another source in the new PM’s camp told Sky News that discussions are still ongoing – and cautioned that no decisions have been made.

And Penny Mordaunt – who bowed out of the race after failing to get the required 100 nominations from Tory MPs – could also receive some kind of promotion.

There is speculation that she could replace Mr Cleverly in the Foreign Office, and a source close to Ms Mordaunt has told Sky News that she would like to be offered the role.

Suella Braverman and Kemi Badenoch – favourites of Conservative members to the right of the party – will also be hoping to serve in Mr Sunak’s top team after endorsing his latest campaign.

Veteran cabinet minister Michael Gove – who was sacked as levelling up secretary in the dying days of the Johnson government – and former defence secretary Gavin Williamson are other high-profile backers of the Sunak campaign who could be rewarded.

‘Unite or die’

Mr Sunak will become the country’s first Hindu leader and the UK’s youngest prime minister in modern political history – beating all his predecessors except William Pitt the Younger, who was just 24 when he took office in 1783.

The 42-year-old only became an MP in 2015 and has had a swift rise to the top job.

Speaking to Tory politicians yesterday, he acknowledged the “profound economic challenge” that the nation now faces – and reportedly warned that the party must “unite or die” as they focus on delivering the public’s priorities.

He now has the difficult task of steering the nation through a crisis that was exacerbated by Ms Truss’s government’s disastrous mini-budget, which caused the pound to fall to a record low.

Last week, she resigned after just 44 days in office.

In an 86-second address to the nation yesterday afternoon, Mr Sunak promised to serve with “integrity and humility” and praised Ms Truss for having served during “exceptionally difficult circumstances”.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Nadhim Zahawi said Mr Sunak becoming prime minister proves “the United Kingdom is a place where you can achieve amazing things”.

But opposition parties have reiterated their calls for an immediate general election – stressing that Mr Sunak has “no mandate” to govern.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting has said “the public are clamouring for a say”, adding: “The Conservative Party is a sclerotic mess.

“They are chaotic and who’s to say Rishi Sunak isn’t going to be out in six months’ time because you can hear the knives sharpening in Westminster of the disgruntled Borisites … who still think Rishi knifed Boris Johnson in the back.”

UK

Teenage girl killed on M5 in Somerset after getting out of police car named

Published

7 hours ago

November 15, 2024

admin

Teenage girl killed on M5 in Somerset after getting out of police car named

A teenage girl who was killed after getting out of a police car on the M5 in Somerset has been named.

Tamzin Hall, 17 and from Wellington, was hit by a vehicle that was travelling southbound between junction 24 for Bridgwater and junction 25 for Taunton shortly after 11pm on Monday.

She had exited a police vehicle that had stopped on the northbound side of the motorway while transporting her.

A mandatory referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which is now carrying out its own investigation into what happened.

Avon and Somerset Police said: “Our thoughts and sympathies go out to Tamzin’s family for their devastating loss.

“A specially-trained family liaison officer remains in contact with them to keep them updated and to provide support.

“The family have asked for privacy at this difficult time.”

The police watchdog, the IOPC, has been asked to investigate.

In a statement, director David Ford, said: “This was a truly tragic incident and my thoughts are with Tamzin’s family and friends and everyone affected by the events of that evening.

“We are contacting her family to express our sympathies, explain our role, and set out how our investigation will progress. We will keep them fully updated as our investigation continues.”

Paramedics attended the motorway within minutes of the girl being hit but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

The motorway was closed in both directions while investigations took place. It was fully reopened shortly after 11am on Tuesday, Nationals Highways said.

UK

Mohamed al Fayed’s brother Salah also abused women, say female Harrods employees

Published

7 hours ago

November 15, 2024

admin

Mohamed al Fayed's brother Salah also abused women, say female Harrods employees

A survivors group advocating for women allegedly assaulted by Mohamed al Fayed has said it is “grateful another abuser has been unmasked”, after allegations his brother Salah also participated in the abuse.

Justice for Harrods Survivors says it has “credible evidence” suggesting the sexual abuse allegedly perpetrated at Harrods and the billionaire’s properties “was not limited to Mr al Fayed himself”.

The group’s statement comes after three women told BBC News they were sexually assaulted by al Fayed’s brother, Salah.

One woman said she was raped by Mohamed al Fayed while working at Harrods.

Helen, who has waived her right to anonymity, said she then took a job working for his brother as an escape. She alleges she was drugged and sexually assaulted while working at Salah’s home on Park Lane, London.

Two other women have told the BBC they were taken to Monaco and the South of France, where Salah sexually abused them.

The Justice for Harrod Survivors representatives said: “We are proud to support the survivors of Salah Fayed’s abuse and are committed to achieving justice for them, no matter what it takes.”

The group added it “looks forward to the others on whom we have credible evidence – whether abusers themselves or enablers facilitating that abuse – being exposed in due course”.

Salah was one of the three Fayed brothers who co-owned Harrods.

The business, which was sold to Qatar Holdings when Mohamed al Fayed retired in 2010, has said it “supports the bravery of these women in coming forward”.

A statement issued by the famous store on Thursday evening continued: “We encourage these survivors to come forward and make their claims to the Harrods scheme, where they can apply for compensation, as well as support from a counselling perspective and through an independent survivor advocate.

“We also hope that they are looking at every appropriate avenue to them in their pursuit of justice, whether that be Harrods, the police or the Fayed family and estate.”

The Justice for Harrods Survivors group previously said more than 400 people had contacted them regarding accusations about Mohamed al Fayed, who died last year.

One of those alleged to have been abused is Bianca Gascoigne, the daughter of former England player Paul.

Speaking to Sky News in October, Gascoigne said she was groomed and sexually assaulted by al Fayed when she worked at Harrods as a teenager.

UK

Wes Streeting ‘crossed the line’ by opposing assisted dying in public, says Labour peer Harriet Harman

Published

7 hours ago

November 15, 2024

admin

Wes Streeting 'crossed the line' by opposing assisted dying in public, says Labour peer Harriet Harman

Wes Streeting “crossed the line” by opposing assisted dying in public and the argument shouldn’t “come down to resources”, a Labour peer has said.

Speaking on Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Baroness Harriet Harman criticised the health secretary for revealing how he is going to vote on the matter when it comes before parliament later this month.

MPs are being given a free vote, meaning they can side with their conscience and not party lines, so the government is supposed to be staying neutral.

But Mr Streeting has made clear he will vote against legalising assisted dying, citing concerns end-of-life care is not good enough for people to make an informed choice, and that some could feel pressured into the decision to save the NHS money.

He has also ordered a review into the potential costs of changing the law, warning it could come at the expense of other NHS services if implemented.

Baroness Harman said Mr Streeting has “crossed the line in two ways”.

👉 Click here to listen to Electoral Dysfunction on your podcast app 👈

“He should not have said how he was going to vote, because that breaches neutrality and sends a signal,” she said.

“And secondly… he’s said the problem is that it will cost money to bring in an assisted dying measure, and therefore he will have to cut other services.

“But paradoxically, he also said it would be a slippery slope because people will be forced to bring about their own death in order to save the NHS money. Well, it can’t be doing both things.

“It can’t be both costing the NHS money and saving the NHS money.”

Baroness Harman said the argument “should not come down to resources” as it is a “huge moral issue” affecting “only a tiny number of people”.

She added that people should not mistake Mr Streeting for being “a kind of proxy for Keir Starmer”.

“The government is genuinely neutral and all of those backbenchers, they can vote whichever way they want,” she added.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously expressed support for assisted dying, but it is not clear how he intends to vote on the issue or if he will make his decision public ahead of time.

The cabinet has varying views on the topic, with the likes of Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood siding with Mr Streeting in her opposition but Energy Secretary Ed Miliband being for it.

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is being championed by Labour backbencher Kim Leadbeater, who wants to give people with six months left to live the choice to end their lives.

Under her proposals, two independent doctors must confirm a patient is eligible for assisted dying and a High Court judge must give their approval.

The bill will also include punishments of up to 14 years in prison for those who break the law, including coercing someone into ending their own life.

MPs will debate and vote on the legislation on 29 November, in what will be the first Commons vote on assisted dying since 2015, when the proposal was defeated.