Advanced Search

The story appears on

Page A9

January 9, 2018

GET this page in PDF

Free for subscribers

View shopping cart

Related News

Home » World

May’s cabinet shakeup to help Brexit negotiations

Source: AP | 00:01 UTC+8 January 9, 2018 | Print Edition

British Prime Minister Theresa May named a new head of the ruling Conservatives yesterday in a reshuffle aimed at handing her government a new start after months of divisions over Brexit, scandals and an ill-judged election.

May, weakened by the loss of the Conservatives’ majority in June’s election gamble, moved to make changes to her team of top ministers after ending last year with a deal to shift talks with the European Union to a second phase.

She kept her team’s “big beasts” — the finance, Brexit, foreign and interior ministers — but is promoting women, black and younger lawmakers to challenge critics who call her party “male, pale and stale.”

Appointing immigration minister Brandon Lewis and lawmaker James Cleverly to become the chairman and deputy chair of the Conservatives was part of her strategy to reassert her authority over the party and to try to broaden its reach.

May is also keen to strengthen her hand in talks with the EU to unravel more than 40 years of union and in parliament, where she depends on the support of a Northern Irish party.

Despite winning agreement from the EU to push Brexit talks to a discussion of future trade relations and a transitional deal, May has been criticised at home for her approach to healthcare, housing and transport among other issues.

In a blow, her minister for Northern Ireland, James Brokenshire, stepped down because of ill-health.

Brexit minister David Davis, foreign minister Boris Johnson, finance minister Philip Hammond and interior minister Amber Rudd all kept their positions, while David Lidington was appointed to become minister for the cabinet office, replacing May’s closest friend in parliament, Damian Green, who was forced to resign.

But the biggest change so far was the appointment of Lewis to head the Conservative Party whose membership is plummeting after what many members acknowledge was a disastrous election campaign in June.

World


 

Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

沪公网安备 31010602000204号

Email this to your friend