Michael Gove has been appointed levelling up secretary by Rishi Sunak, as the new prime minister assembled his cabinet.
It marks a quick return to office for Gove, who claimed he was quitting frontline politics in August.
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Lisa Nandy, Labour’s shadow levelling up secretary, said: “Congratulations.
“The job has got a whole lot harder. But hey, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again.”
Dominic Raab has been made deputy prime minister and justice secretary, while Jeremy Hunt stays on as chancellor.
James Cleverly, a close ally of Boris Johnson, will remain as foreign secretary. Ben Wallace, who also was close to the former PM, stays as defence secretary.
Suella Braverman returns as home secretary, less than a week after resigning from that job after admitting breaching security rules.
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Penny Mordaunt came out of the reshuffle as Commons Leader, failing to win a promotion after she challenged Sunak in the Tory leadership race, which he won without a vote being cast.
Simon Hart, a former Welsh secretary, has been appointed chief whip. He will be in charge of enforcing discipline in a party that has been consumed by infighting.
Other allies of Sunak benefited, with Mel Stride appointed work and pensions secretary and Oliver Dowden becoming chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster having resigned as party chairman after a disastrous double by-election loss under Johnson.
Therese Coffey, one of Truss’s closest friends in Westminster, was demoted from deputy PM and health secretary to become environment secretary.
But several other allies of the two former prime ministers have left cabinet, including Jacob Rees-Mogg, Simon Clarke and Wendy Morton.
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Sunak took over as prime minister on Tuesday morning with a promise to “fix” the “mistakes” made by Liz Truss.
Suella Braverman has been reappointed home secretary by Rishi Sunak, less than a week after she resigned for breaching security rules.
Last Wednesday, Braverman quit as Liz Truss’ home secretary after admitting sending an official government document using her personal email.
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When she stepped down, Braverman said “the business of government relied upon people accepting responsibility for their mistakes”.
Over the weekend she delivered a huge boost to Sunak’s leadership campaign by throwing her weight behind his bid.
Braverman is one of the leading Brexiteers on the right of the party who ran for the leadership herself when Boris Johnson was ousted.
She now returns to the Home Office as Sunak moved to assemble his top team.
In his speech in Downing Street shortly after being appointed PM, Sunak said he would lead a government of “integrity, professionalism, and accountability at every level”.
“At 5pm he made Suella Braverman home secretary, one week after she resigned for ministerial code breach/security lapse.
“He put party before country. Security is too important for this irresponsible Tory chaos.”
Braverman has previously taken a hardline on immigration and said it was her “dream” and “obsession” to see a flight take asylum seekers to Rwanda.
Sunak has also appointed Dominic Raab as deputy prime minister and kept Jeremy Hunt as chancellor. Michael Gove has returned as levelling up secretary.
The new prime minister said he wanted to fix the “mistakes” made by Truss during her short time in office.
Rishi Sunak will take over from Liz Truss as prime minister on Tuesday morning, Downing Street has said.
Truss will chair her final cabinet meeting at 9am and deliver a speech outside No.10 at 10.15am.
She will then travel to Buckingham Palace to meet the King and formally resign.
Sunak will then make his way to the Palace where he will meet the King and be appointed PM.
He is due to then make a statement on the steps of No.10 at 11.35am.
The former chancellor won the keys to Downing Street after Penny Mordaunt failed to secure the support from Tory MPs needed to make it onto the ballot.
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Sunak told his party on Monday it must “unite or die” in the face of a “profound economic challenge”.
It marks a dramatic comeback for Sunak, who lost out to Truss in the previous contest.
Labour, the Lib Dems and the SNP has demanded the incoming prime minister hold a general election to secure a mandate to govern.
But Sunak told a meeting of Tory MPs behind closed doors in Westminster he would not go to the country early.
The Tory party’s poll ratings have tanked since Truss’ mini-Budget caused market chaos.
At 42, Sunak will be the youngest UK prime minister in over 200 years. He will also be the first Hindu PM.
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To make it onto the ballot, Tory leadership candidates had to win the formal support of 100 MPs.
A Mordaunt campaign source said she fell just short, securing the backing of 90 MPs.
Boris Johnson, who stood down as prime minister just last month, toyed with a comeback but dramatically decided not to formally enter the contest on Sunday.
His campaign claimed 102 MPs were willing to nominate the former PM.
Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, said: “The Tories have crowned Rishi Sunak as prime minister without him saying a single word about how he would run the country and without anyone having the chance to vote.”
Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said the Conservatives had “installed another out-of-touch” prime minister, adding: “The only way to end the chaos is a general election now.”
The BBC has said it is “urgently reviewing” comments made on air by newsreader Martine Croxall following Boris Johnson’s exit from the Tory leadership race.
The presenter was accused of breaching the broadcaster’s strict impartiality rules after she asked if she was “allowed to be this gleeful” during Sunday evening’s newspaper review on the BBC News channel, which came shortly after the former prime minister announced he would not be standing to reclaim his old job.
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“Well this is all very exciting isn’t it?” she told viewers: “Am I allowed to be this gleeful? Well I am.”
In her first question to her guests, Croxall also remarked: “Can we even show you the front pages just yet, have they arrived? No they haven’t arrived.
“It’s all a little bit, you know, lastminute.com isn’t it? Because all the front pages were probably out of date by the time we received them.”
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Croxall also suggested during the programme that her comments could have breached BBC guidelines.
Responding to a guest’s joke aimed at Johnson, she said: “I shouldn’t probably (laugh). I’m probably breaking some terrible due impartiality rule by giggling.”
Her comments – which aired around 90 minutes after Johnson’s announcement – attracted criticism from some viewers and Tory MP Nadine Dorries on social media, claiming they displayed bias.
The BBC is a public service broadcaster paid for by the general public who overwhelmingly voted for a Conservative government. This lack of impartiality demonstrates how deep seated the bias is. https://t.co/EvBxsGcYf0
A statement from the broadcaster said: “BBC News is urgently reviewing last night’s edition of The Papers on the News Channel for a potential breach of impartiality.
“It is imperative that we maintain the highest editorial standards. We have processes in place to uphold our standards, and these processes have been activated.”
The BBC would not verify this claim when contacted by HuffPost UK.
On Twitter, Croxall told one viewer to consider the “context” of her remarks, later clarifying: “The rollercoaster of politics. Fascinating to report on.”
The rollercoaster of politics. Fascinating to report on
When another Twitter user said they expected her comments were “journalistic excitement and not relief, like most of the viewers”, she replied: “Very much the former!”
A Tory minister has been mocked for publicly declaring his support for Boris Johnson’s Tory leadership bid and then switching to his arch-rival Rishi Sunak less than half an hour later.
Nadhim Zahawi, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said the UK should “get ready for Boris 2.0” in an article published by the Daily Telegraph at 9pm.
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But just two minutes earlier, Johnson had issued a statement saying he had decided to pull out of the race.
Nadhim Zahawi’s article backing Boris Johnson was published at 9pm
Daily Telegraph
In a remarkable about-turn, Zahawi – who urged Johnson to resign as prime minister in July – then posted a tweet at 9.29pm announcing that he had switched his support to Sunak.
A day is a long time in politics…
Given today’s news, it’s clear that we should turn to @RishiSunak to become our next Prime Minister. Rishi is immensely talented, will command a strong majority in the parliamentary Conservative Party, and will have my full support & loyalty.
Unsurprisingly, Zahawi was slammed on Twitter for his latest embarrassing U-turn.
The Tory leadership contest is now a two-horse race between Sunak and Penny Mordaunt.
However, Sunak is the red hot favourite, having already secured more than 120 nominations, compared to Mordaunt’s 24.
The deadline for reaching the 100 MP threshold is 2pm tomorrow.
But a source close to Sunak said: “We are not taking anything for granted. Rishi will be continuing to talk to colleagues tomorrow morning before nomination papers go in, and discussing how best to unite the party and take the country forward.”
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A Mordaunt campaign source said: “Penny is still running to be the leader of the Conservative Party.
“Penny is the unifying candidate who is most likely to keep the wings of the Conservative Party together and polling shows that she is the most likely candidate to hold onto the seats the Conservative Party gained in 2019.”
Boris Johnson has ruled himself out of running for the Tory leadership, despite claiming he had the support required to do so.
The former prime minister said he had “much to offer” but that now was “simply not the right time”.
Johnson said he was “well placed” to deliver a Tory win at the next general election but suggested it would be hard to govern a disunited party.
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“You can’t govern effectively unless you have a united party in parliament,” he said.
He also confirmed that he had appealed to the other two candidates – Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt – but they had not been able to work out a deal.
Johnson pulled out just a few hours after his campaign team told supporters they had secured the 100 nominations needed from MPs to get on the ballot paper.
A number of cabinet ministers, including Jacob Rees-Mogg and Nadhim Zahawi, had backed their former boss.
One reason why the former PM may have decided not to run is that he is facing an inquiry into whether he lied to the Commons over the partygate scandal.
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If found guilty by the Commons Privileges Committee, he could face recall proceedings that would leave him battling for his seat in the Commons if he receives a suspension of 10 days or more.
Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak.
DANIEL LEAL via Getty Images
It now looks increasingly likely that former chancellor Sunak is heading for No.10 and will be Britain’s next prime minister.
In a statement, Johnson said: “In the last few days I have been overwhelmed by the number of people who suggested that I should once again contest the Conservative Party leadership, both among the public and among friends and colleagues in Parliament.
“I have been attracted because I led our party into a massive election victory less than three years ago – and I believe I am therefore uniquely placed to avert a general election now.
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“A general election would be a further disastrous distraction just when the government must focus on the economic pressures faced by families across the country.
“I believe I am well placed to deliver a Conservative victory in 2024 – and tonight I can confirm that I have cleared the very high hurdle of 102 nominations, including a proposer and a seconder, and I could put my nomination in tomorrow.
“There is a very good chance that I would be successful in the election with Conservative Party members – and that I could indeed be back in Downing Street on Friday.
Penny Mordaunt.
ISABEL INFANTES via Getty Images
“But in the course of the last days I have sadly come to the conclusion that this would simply not be the right thing to do. You can’t govern effectively unless you have a united party in parliament.
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“And though I have reached out to both Rishi and Penny – because I hoped that we could come together in the national interest – we have sadly not been able to work out a way of doing this.
“Therefore I am afraid the best thing is that I do not allow my nomination to go forward and commit my support to whoever succeeds. I believe I have much to offer but I am afraid that this is simply not the right time.”
A source close to Rishi Sunak said: “We are not taking anything for granted. Rishi will be continuing to talk to colleagues tomorrow morning before nomination papers go in, and discussing how best to unite the party and take the country forward.”
A Mordaunt campaign source said: “Penny is still running to be the leader of the Conservative Party.
“Penny is the unifying candidate who is most likely to keep the wings of the Conservative Party together and polling shows that she is the most likely candidate to hold onto the seats the Conservative Party gained in 2019.
“Ed Balls, shadow cabinet ministers and Labour advisers have all said Penny is the candidate Keir Starmer fears the most.”
The Chandler Bing actor said things became “awkward” between him and his co-star while filming the hit sitcom because he “badly” fancied her.
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Matthew admitted his crush started three years prior to being cast on Friends when they met through mutual acquaintances.
He said he even asked Jennifer out at the time, but she turned him down.
Writing in his new memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, which is being serialised in The Times and The Sun, Matthew said he was “immediately taken” by Jennifer when they first met.
He said (via The Times): “I got the sense she was intrigued too – maybe it was going to be something. Back then I got two jobs in one day – one was Haywire, an America’s Funniest Home Videos-type show, and the other was a sitcom. So I called Jennifer and I said, ‘You’re the first person I wanted to tell this to.’
“Bad idea. I could feel ice forming through the phone.”
He continued: “Looking back, it was clear that this made her think I liked her too much or in the wrong kind of way… and I only compounded the error by then asking her out. She declined (which made it very difficult to actually go out with her), but said that she’d love to be friends with me, and I compounded the compound by blurting, “We can’t be friends!’”
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After they were later cast as Chandler and Rachel in Friends together, Matthew said that even though he was “still attracted” to Jennifer, they “were able to sail right past the past” and focus on their jobs.
The pair were cast in Friends in 1994
NBC via Getty Images
However, things then changed as filming went on, with Matthew continuing: “Fairly early in the making of Friends I realised that I was still crushing badly on Jennifer Aniston. Our hellos and goodbyes became awkward. And then I’d ask myself, how long can I look at her? Is three seconds too long?
“But that shadow disappeared in the hot glow of the show. (That, and her deafening lack of interest.)”
Stormzy has opened up about his split from Maya Jama, admitting it was his “catalyst for growth as a man”.
The former couple split after four years together in 2019 with various headlines subsequently surrounding their break-up.
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In a new interview with Louis Theroux (via The Sun), Stormzy said the split came after he made a “mistake”.
“My break-up, that was probably the biggest catalyst for growth as a man,” he said. “It was like, OK, you made a mistake and you lose someone you loved, someone you cared for, someone who is special to you.
“That’s probably the biggest loss a man can have, isn’t it? Away from someone passing away, that’s the biggest loss you can have.
“The whole f****** palaver that surrounded that situation, do you know what I mean? There were other things in terms of mistakes I’d made.
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“I didn’t do what a man should do to fully appreciate love, and care for his woman,” added Stormzy, who has always denied any infidelity.
The former couple split in 2019
David M. Benett via Getty Images
Stormzy continued: “Long story short, I learned that if I don’t want to feel like that again, and if I believe that God will bless me again with an amazing woman and a family and marriage and all of that kind of thing, I have to do all the necessary work to never be in that situation again.
“I do want a family of my own and I want to get married and I want to settle.”
The grime star added that he has found it difficult to find love again due to interest in his dates.
“Any time I’ve had a date we’ve got to go through a back door at the restaurant, otherwise people are going to blow up the poor girl’s life,” he said.
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“I’m still trying to work out the solution. I’ll just wait for God to present me with my situation with my woman. I’m all out of ideas.”
Stormzy and Maya started dating in January 2015 after first meeting in October 2014.
The Draco Malfoy actor has said he always have a close bond with Daniel and praised him for “always being collaborative” on the set of the film franchise, which they first joined as children.
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Speaking on US TV’s CBS Mornings, Tom gushed: “I love the man dearly.
“I don’t see him as much as I’d like to — that’s the same for all of us, really. But I consider him a brother, definitely. Huge amounts of respect for him.”
Tom went on to praise the way Daniel “brings a certain energy to any room that he’s in”.
He continued: “But it was important to me, looking back, how important his enthusiasm and his eventual professionalism runs down the ranks, if you will.
“He could’ve very much easily, I think, coasted a lot of those years. And it seemed to me, on set with him, that he was always up for bringing as much as he can to the table, always being collaborative.
“And I think he learned that the same way that I did: from the other chaps around us.”
Tom also admitted he agrees with fans who have theorised that Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy “could be” two sides of the same coin.
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He said: “You have one boy who has no parents, no money, no status, but he has everything that is good with the world: He has love and compassion and friends and truth and honesty.“And the other side is the slightly darker one, very powerful parents, lots of money, big house, all the toys, but also a bully and someone that can’t find a way of expressing his light, because he hasn’t been shown any his entire life.
“These are broad sweeps of the brush, but I think it’s fairly true.”
The pair pictured in 2006
Gareth Davies via Getty Images
Fellow Harry Potter star Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger, recently hailed Tom as her “soulmate” and admitted she struggles to explain their relationship to people.
Writing the foreword for Tom’s new book, Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard, Emma said: “Like Tom, I always struggle to explain to people the nature of our connection and relationship.
“For more than 20 years now we’ve loved each other in a special way, and I’ve lost count of the times that people have said to me, ‘You must have drunkenly made out, just once!’ ‘You must have kissed!’ ‘There must be something!’
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“But what we have is far deeper than that. It’s one of the purest loves I can think of. We’re soulmates, and we’ve always had each other’s backs. I know we always will.”
Actor Josephine Melville has died backstage at a theatre after appearing in a play.
The performer, whose TV credits include EastEnders and Prime Suspect 2, passed away on Thursday night at the Nottingham Playhouse after acting in a production of Nine Night.
In a statement, the theatre said: “We are deeply saddened to announce that last night the actor Josephine Melville, passed away backstage at Nottingham Playhouse following the performance of the play Nine Night, in which she was performing. Josephine’s family have been informed, and our thoughts and deep condolences are with them.
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“Josephine received immediate assistance from Nottingham Playhouse first aiders and a medically qualified member of the Nine Night audience. The subsequent very swift arrival of paramedics meant she was quickly and expertly treated but sadly she passed away at the scene.”
We are deeply saddened that last night (20 Oct) the actor Josephine Melville, passed away following the performance of Nine Night, our co-production with Leeds Playhouse. Our thoughts and deep condolences are with her family and loved ones. https://t.co/O9qnBGXqkRpic.twitter.com/h1pCfchXPh
The statement continued: “The entire company, and staff at both theatres are in a state of shock. Josephine was a truly wonderful and well-loved person, a revered and deeply respected performer, director, producer, archivist and writer, and a tremendous Auntie Maggie in Nine Night.
“We are offering our full support to her family, our onstage and production crew and all staff at this awful time.”
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Josephine appeared in eight episodes of EastEnders in 1986 as Tessa Parker, the girlfriend of Kelvin Carpenter. She then appeared in an episode in 2005 as a different character.
She had guest roles in shows including Casualty, Hold The Sunset and The Bill, and also made an appearance in Ella Henderson’s video for her 2019 hit Brave.
