The former diplomat was considered for the role of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, once held by Michael Gove, but turned it down because Ms Truss wants the job to be much narrower than it was under Mr Gove. Ms Truss’ team also raised the possibility of Lord Frost becoming leader of the House of Lords, but told them he would be the wrong person for the job because it would have to go to someone who had been a peer for far longer than his two years . .
Come on Patel
On Monday afternoon, Priti Patel resigned as Home Secretary Ms Patel wrote to Mr Johnson saying she would step down from the post, which she has held for three years, once Ms Truss is appointed. She wrote: “I congratulate Liz Truss on being elected as our new leader and will be giving her my support as our new Prime Minister. “It is my choice to continue my public service to the country and the Witham constituency from the backbenches once Liz officially takes office and a new Home Secretary is appointed. From the backbenches, I will support many of the policies and causes I have championed both inside and outside of government.”
Who is inside?
Therese Coffey
Therese Coffey will be appointed Liz Truss’s deputy prime minister as well as health secretary, The Telegraph understands, putting her at the center of power. Ms Coffey, the current Work and Pensions Secretary, is little known to the wider public but is one of Ms Truss’s closest friends in politics. He helped run the Truss campaign and had previous government posts in the whip office and the Department for the Environment after becoming an MP in 2010. The move is likely to be framed in part as a sign of how important health reforms will be to the Trudeau government. Reducing NHS backlogs is one of her top policy priorities. It also means Ms Coffey will be the one likely to face Angela Rayner, the deputy Labor leader, at Prime Minister’s Questions when Ms Truss is away. Jake Berry, the chairman of Tory MPs’ Northern Inquiry Group, will be appointed chairman of the Conservative Party. Alistair Jack, the Scottish minister, is set to remain in his post, while Alok Sharma expects to remain in the cabinet as President for COP26, as he will be in that role until November.
