Hours after taking over as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak got down to business with a cabinet reshuffle. While he removed several ministers from the Truss cabinet, Sunak brought back two prominent faces who were sacked by the former Prime Minister — Dominic Raab as the new Deputy Prime Minister and Suella Braverman as the Home Secretary.
Braverman's appointment as Home Secretary sparked a furore in the Parliament. Answering questions by Opposition party members in his first ever Prime Minister's Questions (PMQ), Sunak defended Braverman's return, saying she has acknowledged her mistake and has also apologised.
"The Home Secretary will be focused on cracking down on criminals, defending our borders, while the party opposite remains soft on crime and in favour of unlimited immigration," Sunak told the Parliament.
The controversy
Suella Braverman, an Indian-origin Conservative Party MP, was asked to resign by Liz Truss after she allegedly breached ministerial protocol by sharing sensitive information from her email ID with a fellow MP.
Braverman also faced sharp criticism for her controversial anti-immigration statements. She had expressed reservations about the Free Trade Agreement with India, saying it would further increase the number of Indian migrants to the UK.
"I do have some reservations. Look at migration in this country — the largest group of people who overstay are Indian migrants," she had said earlier.
She publicly spoke about her dream to send refugees or asylum seekers to Rwanda.
"I would love to have a front page of The Telegraph with a plane taking off to Rwanda. That's my dream, that's my dream, it's my obsession," Braverman said.
Sunak promises to "fix UK's economy"
In his first address after being appointed as the Prime Minister, Sunak also assured of fixing UK's economy and warned of difficult decisions ahead.
"I will place economic stability and confidence at the heart of this government's agenda. This will mean difficult decisions to come", Sunak said.
The Prime Minister was expected to unveil the fiscal policy on October 31 but has delayed that announcement by two weeks to November 17.
ALSO READ | UK PM Rishi Sunak warns of 'difficult decisions' in days to come
Check out our in-depth Market Coverage, Business News & get real-time Stock Market Updates on CNBC-TV18. Also, Watch our channels CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz and CNBC Bajar Live on-the-go!
Andhra Pradesh Lok Sabha elections: A look at YSRCP candidates
Apr 25, 2024 6:54 PM
Lok Sabha elections 2024: Banks and schools to remain closed in these cities for phase 2 voting
Apr 25, 2024 5:33 PM
Andhra Pradesh Lok Sabha elections: Seats, schedule, NDA candidates and more
Apr 25, 2024 5:16 PM