Liz Truss began her tenure as Britain’s prime minister by changing the face of the country’s government and appointing the most diverse cabinet in British history. Mrs Truss announced her ministerial appointments late on Tuesday, hours after Boris Johnson took over as prime minister. Many of Mr Johnson’s senior ministers were sidelined and Ms Truss handed several prominent roles to relative newcomers. For the first time, no white men appear among the top three posts – Chancellor of the Exchequer, Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary – and the Deputy Prime Minister is also a woman. In brief remarks outside Downing Street earlier on Tuesday, Ms Truss promised to “tackle the issues that are holding Britain back”. She listed her priorities as reducing taxes, tackling the energy crisis and improving health services. “We will transform Britain into a nation of aspiration with high-paying jobs, safe roads and where everyone everywhere has the opportunities they deserve,” he said. Kwasi Kwarteng, whose parents came to Britain from Ghana, was named Britain’s first black Chancellor of the Exchequer. Mr Kwarteng, 47, is a close ally of Ms Truss and shares her free market outlook. Born in London, he was educated at Eton College and Cambridge University where he obtained a PhD in economics. He also studied at Harvard University and worked in finance at JP Morgan. “I really think it’s not that big of a deal,” Mr Kwarteng said after his appointment was announced. “I think once you get the point across, I don’t think it’s something that comes up that much.” Kwasi Kwarteng, whose parents came to Britain from Ghana, was named Britain’s first black Chancellor of the Exchequer. He was educated at Eton College and Cambridge University where he obtained a PhD in economics.TOBY MELVILLE/Reuters Suella Braverman, whose parents came from Kenya and Mauritius, is home secretary and James Cleverly, whose mother is from Sierra Leone, became Britain’s first non-white foreign secretary. Thérèse Coffey was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Health Secretary and Nadhim Zahawi, a refugee from Iraq, was appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, effectively running the cabinet office. “Politics has set the pace. Now we treat it as normal, that diversity,” said Sunder Katwala, director of the non-partisan think tank British Future. “The pace of change is extraordinary.” Ms Truss, 47, officially became prime minister on Tuesday morning after an audience with the Queen at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. On Monday, he succeeded Mr Johnson as leader of the Conservative Party after winning a run-off election among party members, defeating former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak. Mrs Truss takes office two years before the next election must be called and the Conservatives trail Labor in most opinion polls. He also faces an inbox full of challenges. The most pressing issue is energy and the rising cost of natural gas. More than 80 percent of British homes use natural gas for heating and the country has little storage capacity. About half of the supply comes from aging fields in the North Sea and the rest is bought on the open market. The price of natural gas for home heating is regulated and adjusted several times a year to reflect global market conditions. The cap is set to rise on October 1 to an average annual price for homeowners of £3,549 ($5,375). That’s up from £1,971 and analysts say the price could rise to £5,000 at the next adjustment in January. There have been growing calls for Mrs Truss to freeze the cap at the current amount and provide financial support to households and businesses. On Tuesday, he promised to “take action this week to tackle energy bills and secure our future energy supply”. Media reports on Tuesday said Ms Truss would keep the regulated price at £1,971 for two years and set the wholesale price of gas to help businesses. The subsidies, which could cost up to 100 billion pounds, will be paid for through additional government borrowing, according to reports. It is also expected to lift the ban on fracking to boost domestic supply. The new prime minister will also have to deal with calls for a second referendum on Scottish independence and the fallout from Brexit in Northern Ireland, which has led to political gridlock in Belfast and strained relations with the EU. Amidst all these priorities, Ms Truss will also have to keep an eye on Mr Johnson, who will remain a key MP. He left Downing Street to great fanfare on Tuesday. During a stirring speech outside No 10, he listed his achievements, hit out at MPs who pushed him out and hinted at a possible comeback. “Let me say that I am now like one of those booster rockets that have fulfilled their function and will now gently re-enter the atmosphere and launch invisibly into some remote and dark corner of the Pacific,” he said. “Like Cincinnati I return to my plough.” Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus was a Roman military leader who, in 458 BC, left his farm to rescue the beleaguered consular army. Defeat the enemy and take power as a dictator. But he resigned once the crisis was over and returned to his farm. Legend has it that he was recalled as dictator a year later to resolve another crisis. Reported by Reuters Our Morning Update and Afternoon Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the day’s most important headlines. Sign up today
