Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Feb 20, 2026

Liz Truss is appointing her new cabinet hours after becoming prime minister

Kwasi Kwarteng has been named chancellor, James Cleverly is foreign secretary and Therese Coffey is the new health secretary and deputy PM.

Prominent backers of Truss's leadership rival Rishi Sunak are out of a job, including Dominic Raab and Grant Shapps.

Earlier Truss said that her government would "transform Britain into an aspiration nation" and that "together we can ride out the storm".


Suella Braverman is new home secretary
Suella Braverman will succeed Priti Patel as the new home secretary.

Braverman previously held the role of attorney general in Boris Johnson's government and was the first person to announce her intention to stand in the Tory leadership contest earlier this year.

In Patel's resignation letter yesterday she said it was “vital” that her successor continued her policies, including the controversial plan to remove asylum seekers to Rwanda.


James Cleverly made foreign secretary
James Cleverly has been handed the role of foreign secretary in Liz Truss's new government.

He will be succeeding Truss herself in the role, inheriting a fairly bulging in-tray of his own.

The war in Ukraine is a huge issue and one that Truss has focused on.

In her maiden speech earlier, Truss pointed to Vladimir Putin's aggression as the reason for soaring energy bills.

This won’t be a totally new department for James Cleverley.

He’s been a foreign minister before – both for the Middle East and North Africa, and later for Europe and North America.

He most recently served as education secretary under Boris Johnson.

He was previously in the army and trained at Sandhurst.

Outside of work, he apparently enjoys painting model soldiers and hanging out with his border terriers.

He’ll have a busy brief ahead as foreign secretary with the ongoing war in Ukraine and the UK government’s current plans to override parts of the Northern Ireland protocol – an element of the Brexit deal agreed with the EU.


Kwasi Kwarteng is new chancellor

Kwasi Kwarteng, the business secretary under Boris Johnson, has been made the new chancellor.

He will be in charge of the nation's finances as soaring energy prices cause pain for households and businesses.

The new government is expected to announce a package costing billions to cap typical energy bills at around £2,500, with full details expected on Thursday.

Kwasi Kwarteng is now the man in charge of the economy.

He was previously the business secretary under Boris Johnson.

He’s been vocally supportive of new forms of energy, particularly nuclear power, but was also one of the champions in the previous administration of introducing more renewables such as more onshore wind and solar farms, with incentives like cheaper energy bills where there was local support.

He all but confirmed his place in the cabinet days ago, writing in the Financial Times in what appeared to be an attempt to reassure markets that the government would behave in a fiscally responsible way despite plans to borrow more money.

Kwarteng, who got a scholarship to Eton before studying at Cambridge, worked in finance before entering politics, and has written a book about the legacy of the British Empire.

He’s widely regarded as a close friend, as well as ally, of Liz Truss.

His first big challenge will be Truss’s promised "mini-budget" and help with energy bills.



Therese Coffey is new health secretary and deputy PM
Therese Coffey has been appointed secretary of state for health and social care.

She will also hold the position of deputy prime minister.

A long-term political ally of Liz Truss, the MP for Suffolk Coastal was most recently the work and pensions secretary in Boris Johnson's cabinet.

As Coffey left Downing Street this evening she told awaiting journalists: "I'm very excited, thank you".

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Concerns Mount Over Potential Saudi Uranium Enrichment in Prospective US Nuclear Accord
Investability Emerges as the Defining Test of Saudi Arabia’s Next Market Phase
Saudi Arabia’s Packaging Market Accelerates as Sustainability and E-Commerce Drive Transformation
Saudi Arabia’s Strategic Minerals Drive Offers Lessons for Europe’s Supply Chain Ambitions
Saudi Arabia Unveils $32 Billion Push Into Theme Parks and Global Entertainment
Saudi Crude Exports to India Climb Sharply, Closing Gap With Russia
Saudi Arabia’s Halal Cosmetics Market Expands as Faith and Ethical Beauty Drive Growth
United Kingdom Denies U.S. Access to Military Base for Potential Iran Strike
ImmunityBio Secures Saudi Partnerships to Launch Flagship Cancer Therapy
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Launch Expanded Renewable Energy Partnership
US Supreme Court Voids Trump’s Emergency Tariff Plan, Reshaping Trade Power and Fiscal Risk
UK Intensifies Efforts to Secure Saudi Investment in Next-Generation Fighter Jet Programme
Saudi Arabia Tops Middle East Green Building Rankings with Record Growth in 2025
Qatar and Saudi Arabia Each Commit One Billion Dollars to President Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ Initiative
Ramadan 2026 Prayer Times Set as Fasting Begins in Saudi Arabia and Egypt Announces Dates
Saudi Arabia Launches Ramadan 2026 Hotel Campaign to Boost Religious and Leisure Tourism
Saudi Arabia Seeks Reroute of Greece-Bound Fibre-Optic Cable Through Syria Instead of Israel
Saudi-Backed Scopely Acquires Majority Stake in Turkey’s Loom Games to Expand Mobile Portfolio
Zodiac Milpro Launches Zid Marine Joint Venture in Saudi Arabia to Expand Regional Shipbuilding
Saudi Arabia Reaffirms Reform Path Amid Claims of Ideological Reversal
Calls Grow for Saudi Arabia and UAE to Settle Differences Through Direct Dialogue
Jensen Huang just told the story of how Elon Musk became NVIDIA’s very first customer for their powerful AI supercomputer
British couple sentenced to 10 years in Iran for espionage
Former British Prince Andrew Arrested on Suspicion of Misconduct in Public Office
Unitree Robotics founder Wang Xingxing showcases future robot deployment during Spring Festival Gala.
Prince William Holds Talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman During Saudi Visit
Saudi Arabia’s Humain Commits $3 Billion Investment to Elon Musk’s xAI
SCOPA Executive Unveils Ambitious Relaunch Strategy for Saudi Production Company
Saudi Arabia Sees Rise in Business Visa Rejections Amid Tighter Compliance Checks
Saudi PIF Transfers Take-Two Stake to Savvy Games Group in Strategic Gaming Push
Jimmy Carr Says He ‘Loved’ Saudi Arabia Show Amid Debate Over Performing in the Kingdom
Sotheby’s ‘Origins II’ Auction Signals Saudi Collectors’ Shift Toward Cultural Legacy
EY and Microsoft Deepen Saudi Arabia Partnership with Launch of EY Studio+
Google Pay Launches Support for Mastercard Cards in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia Bolsters Maritime Surveillance Fleet with Four C-27J Patrol Aircraft
Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia Deepen Strategic Partnership with New Investment and Energy Agreements
Saudi Crown Prince Receives Written Message from Kazakhstan’s President Amid Expanding Strategic Ties
ImmunityBio Shares Rise After Saudi Arabia BCG Manufacturing Update Spurs Investor Optimism
Global Music Star Tyla Confirmed as Headliner at 2026 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Entertainment Lineup
Somalia and Saudi Arabia Forge New Military Partnership Amid Regional Power Shifts
Saudi Arabia and Several Nations Criticize Israeli West Bank Land Measures as Diplomatic Tensions Rise
Saudi Public Investment Fund Transfers Stake in Take-Two Interactive as Portfolio Strategy Evolves
Saudi Arabia’s Flagship Defense Expo Highlights Industrial Ambitions and Expanding Arms Portfolio
Strategic Divergence Deepens as Saudi Arabia and UAE Recalibrate Gulf Partnership
Saudi Arabia Confirms Start of Ramadan as Crescent Moon Sighted, While Other Nations Begin a Day Later
Rubio Calls for Sweeping U.N. Reform, Saying It Has Failed to End Wars in Gaza and Ukraine
10,000 Condoms Distributed at Winter Olympics 2026 Athlete Village Depleted Within 72 Hours
Prince William Meets Saudi Crown Prince as Epstein-Andrew Fallout Casts Shadow
Goldman Sachs and DP World Executive Resignations: Elite-Reputation Risk and Corporate Governance Fallout From the Epstein Disclosures
OpenAI and DeepCent Superintelligence Race: Artificial General Intelligence and AI Agents as a National Security Arms Race
×