Liz Truss, Britain's next prime minister, is expected to begin making key ministerial appointments soon after her formal appointment as leader on Tuesday. Below is a brief overview of the people likely to serve in key roles in her government.
FINANCE MINISTER - KWASI KWARTENG
Truss is expected to appoint current business and energy secretary Kwasi Kwarteng as her finance minister, according to sources in the Conservative Party and close to her campaign.
If confirmed, Kwarteng will inherit a British economy projected to enter a long recession as inflation remains at 40-year-highs and he will have to tackle a cost-of-living crisis by offering financial support to those facing higher energy bills.
Kwarteng's views align with those of Truss on economic issues like lowering taxes, and Conservative lawmakers say their friendship might mean fewer disagreements about fiscal priorities.
Kwarteng co-authored a 2012 tract championing free-market economics called "Britannia Unchained" with Truss and other Conservative Party politicians.
Kwarteng, whose passions include history, music and languages, is lesser known for writing a 2011 polemic against the British empire.
FOREIGN MINISTER - JAMES CLEVERLY
Cleverly became the third education secretary in as many days during the height of the political turmoil in July that led to Johnson's resignation as prime minister. He is likely to serve as foreign secretary under Truss, according to sources close to Truss's campaign.
Cleverly has been an officer in the volunteer reserve Territorial Army. He worked as a minister in the foreign office for more than two years, serving effectively as Truss's deputy.
Cleverly, who also co-founded a web and print publishing company, was made chairman of London's fire authority in 2012 when Johnson was mayor.
INTERIOR MINISTER - SUELLA BRAVERMAN
The government's attorney-general and its chief legal adviser is likely to be promoted to the home secretary, the minister in charge of police and law enforcement, a Conservative lawmaker familiar with Truss's plans told Reuters.
Braverman previously served as a Brexit minister and has advocated for Britain pulling out of the European Court of Human Rights. She was also an early-stage Conservative Party leadership contender who won the backing of prominent anti-EU campaigner Nigel Farage.
Braverman, born in London to parents of Indian origin, has been vocal about cultural issues, opposing diversity-related training for bureaucrats and the teaching of transgender issues in school.
She is expected to back Britain's much-criticised strategy of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda conceived under current Home Secretary Priti Patel. Truss herself has backed more "Rwanda-style schemes" to tackle illegal immigration.
DEFENCE MINISTER - BEN WALLACE
The defence minister is among the few officials expected to retain their job in the new Truss government, according to sources close to the Truss campaign.
Wallace, a former ski instructor who later served in the military, has previously called for higher military spending by Britain. Truss has pledged to boost British military spending to 3% of gross domestic product.
NADHIM ZAHAWI
The two-month-long finance minister and former education minister has publicly said he would serve in any role that he is given by Truss.
The Sunday Times reported he could become cabinet office minister, while an earlier report in the Times said he could be offered the role of health secretary - an important job during the pandemic and one that will have oversight of a severely strained National Health Service.
Zahawi was widely praised for his role as minister in charge of COVID-19 vaccine rollouts in 2020.
He co-founded opinion polling firm YouGov in 2000 and helped turn it into one of Britain's top market research companies. He was born in Iraq and moved to Britain when his Kurdish family fled the rule of Saddam Hussein in the 1970s.
THERESE COFFEY
The work and pensions secretary reported to be a close personal friend of Truss is likely to find a place in her government.
The Independent reported she could be appointed health secretary, while earlier reports said she was being considered for the role of chief whip - the government's parliamentary enforcer. The Financial Times has said she could be made Cabinet Office minister.
BUSINESS MINISTER - JACOB REES-MOGG
The prominent Brexiteer who is currently Brexit opportunities and government efficiency minister could be made business secretary, according to the Independent and the Sunday Times. Earlier reports also pegged him for a role as levelling up secretary.
Rees-Mogg, known to hold traditionalist views, has opposed abortion and gay marriage, both of which are legal in Britain.
He co-founded investment firm Somerset Capital Management and has, in recent months, been pressing government officials to work from the office.
LEVELLING UP MINISTER - SIMON CLARKE
The chief secretary to the treasury, a senior position in the finance ministry, is tipped to become levelling up secretary, the official in charge of correcting regional economic inequalities across Britain, according to the Sunday Times.
JOHN REDWOOD
The veteran politician who served as a minister under former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, is expected to return to government after a 27-year absence as economic secretary or financial secretary, the number three to the finance minister, the Times reported.
Redwood, who has a background in finance, favours a lower tax model to boost private investment.
KEMI BADENOCH
The former junior minister who won support on the right wing of the Conservative party in her own leadership bid which ultimately failed could be made education or culture secretary, the Times reported.
Badenoch, born in London to Nigerian-origin parents, has said Britain has been falsely criticised as oppressive to minorities. She has also opposed gender-neutral toilets as causing a "significant disadvantage" to women.
Truss has publicly said she would want Badenoch in her team.
SAJID JAVID
The former health minister and one-time finance minister, who triggered the wave of government resignations in July that led to Johnson stepping down as prime minister, could find a role as Northern Ireland secretary, according to the Sunday Times.
RISHI SUNAK
The ex-finance minister, whose shock resignation helped catalyse Johnson's own exit just a few days later, has publicly suggested he would not serve in a Truss government given he holds starkly different views from her on economic policy.
But the Times reported that Truss had considered offering the now runner-up in the leadership race the role of health secretary, with Zahawi considered an alternative.
Keir Starmer speaks during a reception for public sector workers at 10 Downing Street in London on July 1, 2025. (Photo by CARL COURT/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer faced the most serious test of his leadership on Tuesday (1) as his government’s flagship welfare reforms came under fierce attack from within his own party.
The day was marked by emotional speeches, last-minute concessions, and a deep sense of division among Labour MPs, many of whom said the proposed changes would push vulnerable people into poverty
The atmosphere in the House of Commons as tense, with about 50 Labour MPs expected to vote against the bill, reported The Times.
The government, aware of the scale of the rebellion, was reportedly considering further concessions, including delaying the most controversial measures until after a full review of the welfare system.
One of the most contentious points was the introduction of a four-point threshold for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) eligibility, which critics said would deny help to those unable to wash or dress below the waist from November 2026
Marie Tidball, one of the only MPs with a visible physical disability, delivered a moving speech, saying, “It is with a broken heart that I will be voting against this bill today. As a matter of conscience, I need my constituents to know I cannot support the proposed changes to PIP as currently drafted. Low-level support like PIP helps disabled people, keeping us out of the dark corners of hospitals, prisons and social care settings.”
She warned that the changes could put about 150,000 people into poverty.
Apsana Begum, MP for Poplar and Limehouse, has announced she will vote against the bill, citing deep concerns about its impact on disabled people.
Apsana Begum
Begum said, “When it comes to people’s lives and wellbeing, there can be no compromise. Politics should serve people – not the other way around.” She criticised the planned £3.5 billion cuts to disability benefits, calling them unacceptable.
The MP expressed strong opposition to what she described as a “two-tier system” that would force disabled people into greater hardship.
Begum also pointed out the anxiety felt by disabled constituents in her area, who have already endured years of austerity and hardship. “I say to them: I am with you,” she declared.
She also condemned other welfare measures such as the two-child limit and the “poisonous narrative” that blames people for their poverty. “My constituents voted for an end to austerity. They want a welfare system that supports people, not one that pushes into poverty,” Begum said.
“That’s why I’m voting against this cruel Disability Benefit Cuts bill”
Rebecca Long Bailey, a former Labour leadership contender, echoed these concerns. She said the planned cuts “will still push hundreds of thousands of vulnerable sick and disabled people into poverty,” adding that “existing claimants will live in fear that if the situation changes and they are reassessed, they could lose everything under the new system.”
Long Bailey criticised the government for rushing the bill through without proper consultation, warning that it would worsen human rights violations already highlighted by the United Nations
Dame Meg Hillier, who had initially led efforts to block the bill, withdrew her amendment after the government agreed to a “staggered approach.”
She told the Commons, “Divided parties do not hold power or government. If we want to power our government, if we want to see our values in this country, we have to vote for this today.” Yet she admitted that “there is still a lot to be done” to protect disabled people and those seeking work
Meanwhile, the government’s climbdown last week was prompted by a major revolt from Labour MPs who argued the original proposals went too far. More than 120 MPs had signalled their willingness to rebel, forcing ministers to water down the changes.
The new plan means the stricter criteria for sickness and disability benefits will only apply to new claimants, not those already receiving support
Secretary of state for work and pensions, Liz Kendall, presented the revised bill to parliament, but newly released government data estimated that even the watered-down reforms could push an extra 150,000 people into poverty.
This left some Labour MPs still reluctant to back the bill, with backbenchers exposing “so many holes in the government’s plans,” as one put it
Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds told Times Radio, “We’re all trying to find a way to protect the most vulnerable people and get people back into work if they need it,” defending the government’s approach.
However, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch rejected the bill outright, calling it “a fudge” and saying, “A fundamental and serious programme to reform our welfare system is required, and this bill is not it."
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Letby, from Hereford in western England, was charged in 2020 after a series of deaths in the hospital's neo-natal unit.
POLICE on Tuesday said they had arrested three senior staff members at the hospital where nurse Lucy Letby was found guilty of murdering seven babies. The arrests were made on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.
The investigation was launched in 2023 at the Countess of Chester Hospital (CoCH) in northwest England, following Letby’s conviction and life sentence for killings that took place between 2015 and 2016.
Arrests part of wider criminal probe
Detective Superintendent Paul Hughes said the three individuals were "part of the senior leadership team at the CoCH in 2015-2016" and were arrested on Monday.
He confirmed they were held on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter and have been released on bail.
Hughes said the arrests were the first under the wider criminal investigation into the hospital’s handling of the baby deaths. He added that the arrests had no impact on Letby’s convictions.
Letby case and ongoing review
The case drew national attention during trials held in 2023 and 2024. Letby was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others.
Letby, from Hereford in western England, was charged in 2020 after a series of deaths in the hospital's neo-natal unit. She has maintained her innocence throughout.
According to the prosecution, she attacked the premature babies—usually during night shifts—by injecting air, overfeeding with milk, or using insulin.
In February, a panel of international experts said the evidence used to convict her was flawed. They suggested the babies may have died due to natural causes or poor medical care.
Letby’s legal team has submitted an application to the independent Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) to examine if there was a possible miscarriage of justice in her two trials.
(With inputs from AFP)
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Uber Eats and Deliveroo will tighten ID checks, including facial verification, to curb illegal migrant work after UK government pressure. (Photo: Getty Images)
FOOD delivery companies Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat have agreed to strengthen security measures, including facial verification checks, to prevent irregular migrants from working through their platforms, following criticism from the UK government.
The announcement came after the Labour government summoned the three firms for a meeting in response to a report by The Sun which exposed how some migrants were bypassing rules and working illegally in the gig economy sector.
Although the companies already have controls to verify workers’ legal right to work in the UK, the Home Office said "there continues to be abuse in the sector" through account sharing.
Facial verification checks to be expanded
According to the government, many asylum seekers who cross the Channel and await decisions on their asylum claims are using verified delivery driver accounts rented from others to work illegally. These individuals do not have the legal right to work while their claims are pending.
The Home Office said the delivery platforms have “agreed to increase the use of facial verification checks” to ensure “only registered account holders can work off their platforms.” The companies also committed to “combat illegal working”.
“We are taking a zero-tolerance approach to illegal working across the board,” said Border Security and Asylum minister Angela Eagle.
Immigration pressure and proposed legislation
Prime minister Keir Starmer has faced pressure from the anti-immigration Reform UK party led by Nigel Farage to reduce irregular migration. A new immigration bill currently before parliament seeks to expand police powers against smuggling networks and tighten work eligibility controls.
Since January, over 19,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats to reach the UK from France, marking a record number for this point in the year despite efforts to deter such journeys.
French officials, including former interior minister Gerald Darmanin, have said that the availability of illegal work opportunities in the UK continues to act as a pull factor for migrants making the crossing.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Joseph has chaired several BRIT Awards shows and was an executive producer of the Oscar and BAFTA-winning 2015 documentary Amy.
THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF ARTS (RSA) has announced the appointment of David Joseph CBE as its next chief executive officer. He will take over the role in September, succeeding Andy Haldane.
Joseph previously served as chairman and CEO of Universal Music UK for 17 years. During his time at the company, he oversaw its transformation into a global exporter of British music and worked with several major international artists.
He began his career in advertising before moving into music, where he held roles in artist development and label management. He became chairman and CEO of Universal Music UK in 2008.
Alongside his commercial career, Joseph has been involved in a number of social and cultural initiatives. In 2019, he launched Universal Music’s Creative Differences initiative, which produced the first industry handbook for supporting neurodiversity in the workplace. The handbook has been adopted by more than 200 organisations globally.
He is a founding board member of Julie’s Bicycle, a group focused on climate issues in the cultural sector, and served on the National Council of Arts Council England for eight years. In 2013, he collaborated with Baroness Doreen Lawrence to mark the 20th anniversary of Stephen Lawrence’s murder through the Unity project. He also serves as Chair of the Grenfell Foundation.
Joseph has chaired several BRIT Awards shows and was an executive producer of the Oscar and BAFTA-winning 2015 documentary Amy.
RSA Chair Sir Loyd Grossman said: “David’s commitment to effecting social change, his compassion and his commitment to nurturing people is exemplary.
“We are thrilled that David will join us in the autumn, knowing that he will foster a collaborative and caring culture that speaks to our fellows, partners, staff teams and the wider world. These qualities make David superbly placed to lead the RSA into its next vital phase, and we are thrilled to have him on board.”
Commenting on his appointment, Joseph said: “The RSA has a remarkable heritage and untapped potential. At a time when fresh thinking and collective action are urgently needed across the globe, the RSA is uniquely positioned to drive meaningful change - uniting its rich tradition of arts, creativity and policy influence with the energy of its global Fellowship to spark ideas that shape society. I’m excited to join such a talented organisation where we will build a bold new chapter together.”
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People take part in a protest against disability welfare cuts on June 30, 2025 in London. (Photo: Getty Images)
DOZENS of Labour MPs are expected to vote against the government’s welfare reforms despite recent concessions aimed at easing opposition.
The government had initially planned to tighten eligibility for Personal Independence Payment (Pip) but later said the stricter rules would only apply to new claimants from November 2025.
Ministers also promised a review of the Pip assessment process, in partnership with disability organisations, due to conclude by autumn 2026.
More than 120 Labour MPs had signed an amendment to block the legislation, though a revised amendment supported by 39 MPs and backed by disability charities remains active.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch told the BBC her party would oppose the bill, saying, “The benefits bill is too high. It was £40bn just before Covid. It is now projected to be a £100bn by 2030. And what Labour is doing is not making any savings at all.”
Labour MP Olivia Blake, who opposes the reforms, told BBC Newsnight, “I strongly believe that these kind of punitive measures of cutting welfare are not going to have the outcomes that we've been told they will.”
According to Department for Work and Pensions modelling, the revised proposals could push 150,000 people into poverty by 2030, down from an earlier estimate of 250,000.
Sir Stephen Timms, who will lead the review, told BBC Newsnight the government’s measures would help reduce poverty and make Pip more sustainable.