The new British prime minister Liz Truss has instigated a major clear-out of Downing Street officials, bringing in a fresh team to steer the country through its economic crisis.
Ms Truss has swept out powerful policy units and many civil servants in what she hopes will become a streamlined operation.
She has also assembled a “Cabinet of chums” with the sacking of Rishi Sunak supporters, but one that she hopes will remain unified in tackling fearsome economic headwinds.
Liz Truss's first Cabinet - in pictures
The majority of Boris Johnson’s allies have been removed and a tranche of 20-something advisers appointed to senior roles in what is hoped will be a nimble unit that avoids the indiscretions of their predecessors.
Dozens of civil servants have also been moved out of Number 10 into the Cabinet Office with that department’s authority, now under Nadhim Zahawi, increased considerably.
The policy-making team for government will now become the Economic and Domestic Affairs Secretariat, providing recommendations to steer Britain through its current difficulties.
But there are questions over the governmental experience of the new appointments. The critical post of Chief of Staff has gone to Mark Fullbrook, an established political campaigner, but one who has no experience of a government role.
The chief policy adviser, his deputy and the political secretary are all in their 20s, and will have to bring vigour to match Ms Truss’s long work days.
Central government power could be further destabilised if Ms Truss decides to remove the Cabinet Secretary Simon Case and National Security Adviser Stephen Lovegrove.
The dismissal of Rishi Sunak's Cabinet supporters was fast and brutal on Tuesday night. Only half an hour after Ms Truss entered Downing Street, she went to Parliament where she sacked Dominic Raab, Grant Shapps, George Eustice and Steve Barclay.
She appointed two of her closest allies, Kwasi Kwarteng as chancellor and Therese Coffey as deputy prime minister and health secretary.
Downing Street’s response to accusations of a mass Mr Sunak expulsion was met with the riposte that five leadership contenders were now in the Cabinet.
This included rising star Kemi Badenoch, international trade secretary, who was an impressive candidate in the leadership race and the “One Nation” Tory liberal Tom Tugendhat, security minister, who came fifth in the contest.
Penny Mordaunt, who may well have become prime minister if she had not been pipped to second spot by Ms Truss, was given the task of getting tax cuts through Parliament as Leader of the House of Commons.
It is also a Cabinet of unprecedented diversity, with the four Great Offices of State held either by ethnic minorities or women or both.
While there will be a many ministerial appointments on Wednesday and Thursday, with junior Mr Sunak supporters getting some reward, there is some grumbling that the prime minister is following Mr Johnson’s policy of rewarding loyalty over competence.
The five leadership Cabinet members go a long way to counter that. However, with Mr Sunak securing the votes of 137 MPs in the final voting round, there is a core of anti-Truss members who could cause trouble if things go wrong.
As recent history has taught the country, you can never write-off the potential of a Tory leadership challenge.
As a further sign of the disruption and uncertainty that has gripped British politics since the Brexit referendum in 2016, the only Cabinet member to survive from David Cameron’s premiership is now the person leading the country, Ms Truss.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Company%20Profile
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Youth YouTuber Programme
The programme will be presented over two weeks and will cover the following topics:
- Learning, scripting, storytelling and basic shots
- Master on-camera presence and advanced script writing
- Beating the algorithm and reaching your core audience
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
India squad
Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, K.L. Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant, Shivam Dube, Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Deepak Chahar, Mohammed Shami, Shardul Thakur.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE%20set%20for%20Scotland%20series
%3Cp%3EThe%20UAE%20will%20host%20Scotland%20for%20a%20three-match%20T20I%20series%20at%20the%20Dubai%20International%20Stadium%20next%20month.%3Cbr%3EThe%20two%20sides%20will%20start%20their%20Cricket%20World%20Cup%20League%202%20campaigns%20with%20a%20tri-series%20also%20involving%20Canada%2C%20starting%20on%20January%2029.%3Cbr%3EThat%20series%20will%20be%20followed%20by%20a%20bilateral%20T20%20series%20on%20March%2011%2C%2013%20and%2014.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
more from Janine di Giovanni
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
THE BIO
Favourite holiday destination: Whenever I have any free time I always go back to see my family in Caltra, Galway, it’s the only place I can properly relax.
Favourite film: The Way, starring Martin Sheen. It’s about the Camino de Santiago walk from France to Spain.
Personal motto: If something’s meant for you it won’t pass you by.
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
