Liz Truss’s new cabinet: Londoners appointed - from Kwasi Kwarteng to Jacob Rees Mogg to Suella Braverman

With Liz Truss now officially the UK’s new Prime Minister, having travelled to Balmoral to seek the Queen’s approval of forming a new cabinet, the PM has been quick to appoint a brand new front bench.

As her new cabinet looks to immediately tackle both the Cost of Living and Energy crisis, Truss’ first Prime Minister’s Questions became a spiky affair as she traded barbs with the leader of the opposition, Sir Keir Starmer.

As the new front benchers settle into their positions with their new portfolios at hand, a number of those now sat alongside Liz Truss in the Chamber have links to London, be it being born in the city or growing up at a young age in the area.

Londonworld take a look at the Londoners who are now part of Liz Truss’ new cabinet, and just as importantly what their new roles entail.

Who are the Londoners that are now in Liz Truss’ new cabinet?

Kwasi Kwarteng - Chancellor 

Kwasi Kwarteng takes over from Nadhim Zahawi as Chancellor of the Exchequer - a role which sees the responsibility for all economic and financial matters and role is equivalent to that of a finance minister in other countries.

His new responsibilities include:

• fiscal policy (including the presenting of the annual Budget)
• monetary policy, setting inflation targets
• ministerial arrangements (in his role as Second Lord of the Treasury)
• overall responsibility for the Treasury’s response to COVID-19

Kwarteng was born in East London and before assuming this position in the cabinet was the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, part of a 2021 mini shuffle during Boris Johnson’s time as Prime Minister.

Kwarteng currently holds the position of MP for Spelthorne alongside this new portfolio.

James Cleverly - Foreign secretary

James Cleverly was appointed Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, taking over the role from Liz Truss following her appointment as Prime Minister.

The Secretary of State has overall responsibility for all Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office business, including:

• overarching responsibility for the departmental portfolio and oversight of the ministerial team
• Cabinet
• National Security Council (NSC)
• strategy
• intelligence policy
• Honours

Born in Lewisham, Cleverly was previously Minister for Middle East and North Africa at the FCDO. James was first appointed as a joint Minister of State in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development on 13 February 2020. He was first elected as the Conservative MP for Braintree in May 2015.

Suella Braverman - Home secretary 

Formerly the Attorney General between February and September 2022, Suelle Braverman was appointed as Home secretary, taking over the role from Priti Patel who stepped down from the position ahead of the cabinet reshuffle.

The Secretary of State has overall responsibility for all Home Office business, including:

• overarching responsibility for the departmental portfolio and oversight of the ministerial team
• cabinet
• National Security Council (NSC)
• public appointments
• oversight of the Security Service
• overall responsibility for the Home Office response to COVID-19 including health measures at the border and police powers to enforce lockdown

Suella Braverman was born in Harrow and is currently the MP for Fareham, her legal background has led Braverman to defend the Home Office in immigration cases, the Parole Board in challenges by prisoners and the Ministry of Defence in matters relating to injuries sustained in battle.

Jacob Rees-Mogg - Business, energy and industrial strategy secretary

Jacob Rees-Mogg was appointed Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, taking over the role from Kwasi Kwarteng who became Chancellor during Liz Truss’ cabinet reshuffle.

His new position sees Rees-Mogg responsible for business, industrial strategy, science, innovation and energy, including:

• leading the government’s relationship with business
• ensuring that the country has secure energy supplies that are reliable, affordable and clean
• ensuring the UK remains at the leading edge of science, research and innovation, this includes responsibility for:
• the UK’s membership of Horizon Europe
• the Advanced Research & Invention Agency
• the Innovation Strategy and R&D People & Culture Strategy
• the Office for AI
• The UK’s European Space Agency membership
• steel and metals, critical minerals and the maritime, automotive and aerospace sectors

A prominent figure during Boris Johnson’s reign as Prime Minister, the Hammersmith native read history at Trinity College Oxford before working in finance, initially in Hong Kong and then in London. In 2007 he helped establish Somerset Capital Management, which specialises in investment management in global emerging markets.

Brandon Lewis - Justice secretary

Harold Wood born Brandon Lewis takes up the role of Justice secretary, taking over from former deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab. Lewis began a career as a barrister. He was a councillor on Brentwood Borough Council from 1998 to 2009 and served as leader of the council from 2004 to 2009.

He was elected for Great Yarmouth at the 2010 general election, a position that he still holds to this day.

The role of Justice secretary includes:

• oversight of all portfolios and Ministry of Justice strategy
• oversight of departmental COVID-19 response supported by other ministers according to portfolio
• oversight of international business and future relations with the EU
• MOJ support for the Union
• resourcing of the department
• functions of the Lord Chancellor
• judicial policy including pay, pensions and diversity (these and other operational decisions affecting the judiciary are reserved to the Lord Chancellor)
• corporate services

Nadhim Zahawi - Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, minister for intergovernmental relations and minister for equalities

Born in Baghdad during Saddam Hussein’s regime but raised in London after his family emigrated, Nadhim Zahawi moves from his role as Chancellor of the Exchequer to Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (from Kit Malthouse), minister for intergovernmental relations (from Michael Gove) and minister for equalities (from Liz Truss).

In his major role as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Zahawi will now administer the estates and rents of the Duchy of Lancaster, and is a member of the Cabinet. After the Prime Minister, he is the most senior minister in the Cabinet Office and is responsible for:

• oversight of all Cabinet Office policy and appointments
• oversight of the delivery of cross-cutting domestic and economic priorities
• leading cross-government and public sector reform and efficiency, including digital and data reform
• oversight of cross-government delivery of the policy and operational response to COVID-19
• oversight of Cabinet Office responsibilities on National Security and resilience, including the Civil Contingencies Secretariat and Cyber Security
• oversight of Cabinet Office work on science, technology, and innovation
• oversight of cross-government work on veterans issues
• oversight of constitutional advice

Tom Tugendhat - Security minister

Tom Tugendhat moves from his position as Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee to Minister of State for Security, taking over this role from Stephen McPartland.

His new responsibilities as Security minister will now involve:

• counter terrorism – prepare, prevent, pursue, protect
• cybercrime
• economic crime
• fraud
• illicit finance
• hostile state activity
• extradition
• Royal and VIP protection
• online harms
• Northern Ireland Protocol and Common Travel Area
• aviation and maritime security
• borders and goods security
• border Operations

Born in London,Tugenhadt  served during the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan. He also served in Afghanistan, in a civilian capacity, for the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO), and helped set up the National Security Council of Afghanistan and the government in Helmand Province.

Ranil Jayawardena - Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs Secretary

Formerly Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Trade, Ranil Jayawardena takes up the position of Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, replacing George Eustice in the cabinet reshuffle.

Born in London, Jayawardena served as a councillor of the Borough of Basingstoke and Deane in Hampshire from 2008 to 2015 and during this was also the Cabinet Member for Finance and Property, before being made Deputy Leader of the council.

He invested in "community safety patrollers" to target anti-social behaviour and littering and provided half an hour free parking in "short stay car parks in Top of the Town".

His responsibilities as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will include:

• oversight of trade mandates and post-transition delivery and policy programme,
• international relations
• emergencies
• overall Departmental administration
• senior appointments

Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Transport secretary

Anne-Marie Trevelyan moves from her position of Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade to Secretary of State for Transport - taking the role over from Grant Shapps.

A qualified chartered accountant, she started her career with Price Waterhouse in London and worked in PwC’s corporate finance department before moving to Northumberland in 1996 where she became Governor of the Northumbria Healthcare Trust and of the Berwick Academy.

She unsuccessfully stood as the Conservative candidate in the Morpeth North ward of Castle Morpeth Borough Council in 1999. She subsequently stood as the Conservative candidate in the Hartburn ward of Castle Morpeth Borough Council in 2003, but failed to get elected, before being appointed MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed in 2015.

Her new responsibilities as Transport secretary will include:

• overall responsibility for the policies of the Department for Transport
• cabinet responsibility for the Northern Powerhouse
• oversight of departmental COVID-19 responsibilities