Former UK transport secretary Grants Shapps was named the new home secretary in the Liz Truss government on Tuesday, the BBC reported. He will be replacing Suella Braverman who was sacked over differences with PM Liz Truss earlier today.
Shapps previously served as the transport secretary in the Boris Johnson government. The 54-year-old is a Conservative Member of Parliament from Welwyn Hatfield in Hertfordshire and has never lost the seat since being elected for the first time in 2005.
Also read: Suella Braverman resigns as UK Home Secretary: Reports
The Liz Truss government is facing a crisis since finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng presented a mini-budget whose ripple effects sent UK markets into a freefall. Truss has since gone back on most of what was suggested in the budget in an effort to mitigate its ill effects.
Kwarteng was also replaced by Jeremy Hunt as the new UK finance minister. It was reported by Guardian that Baverman’s sacking was “at the behest” of Hunt.
Braverman is a right-wing politician who allegedly shared official documents from her personal email account with a fellow MP, as per the Guardian report. Her act amounted to a serious breach of ministerial rules as the document was on immigration and its leak could have had damaging consequences for the market.
Also read: British Prime Minister Liz Truss facing crisis: A timeline
In her resignation letter, Baverman wrote: “Pretending we haven’t made mistakes, carrying on as if everyone can’t see that we have made them, and hoping that things will magically come right is not serious politics. I have made a mistake; I accept responsibility; I resign.”
“It is obvious to everyone that we are going through a tumultuous time. I have concerns about the direction of this government. Not only have we broken key pledges that were promised to our voters, but I have had serious concerns about this government’s commitment to honouring manifesto commitments.” she added.
Shaapp’s appointment as the new homes secretary is yet to be confirmed by Downing street.
