UK PM Liz Truss picks top team

London: Britain’s new Prime Minister Liz Truss hit the ground running at Downing Street here on Tuesday by announcing some of the senior-most Cabinet posts, including Indian-origin Suella Braverman as her Home Secretary.

A former rival who stood against Truss in the Conservative Party leadership election before being knocked out, Braverman had later backed her over former chancellor Rishi Sunak in the final leg of the contest.

The 42-year-old barrister and former Attorney General of Goan and Tamil heritage has now been rewarded with one of the high offices of the UK government, with predecessor Priti Patel handing in her resignation to outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday.

Among the others in the Truss top team include close allies such as Therese Coffey as Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and Kwasi Kwarteng as Chancellor of the Exchequer. James Cleverly steps up to the post of Foreign Secretary Truss’ own portfolio in the Boris Johnson led government.

Wendy Morton, another ally, has been appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and becomes the first Tory female Chief Whip in charge of party discipline.

We have huge reserves of talent, of energy, and determination, Truss said in her inaugural address outside 10 Downing Street earlier on Tuesday.

I am confident that together we can: ride out the storm, we can rebuild our economy, and we can become the modern brilliant Britain that I know we can be. This is our vital mission to ensure opportunity and prosperity for all people and future generations. I am determined to deliver, she said.

Truss will carry on with finalising her Cabinet appointments over the course of this week as she prepares for her first Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) in the House of Commons on Wednesday.