Britain’s Boris Johnson demotes foreign minister Dominic Raab in cabinet revamp
- Raab, who has been under fire for his handling of the Afghan crisis, will now serve in the lesser role of justice secretary
- He will be replaced by Trade Secretary Liz Truss, the second woman in British history to hold the post
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday appointed a new-look cabinet to revamp his Brexiteer government after controversies over Covid-19, Afghanistan and taxes, demoting his under-fire foreign secretary.
Dominic Raab was moved to the lesser role of justice secretary but was also made deputy prime minister - an apparent sweetener to soften the blow of demotion.
The former lawyer, who deputised for Johnson when he was in intensive care with Covid-19 in April last year, has faced sustained criticism for his handling of the Afghan crisis.
He was replaced by Trade Secretary Liz Truss, who has brokered a series of deals since Britain’s full exit from the European Union in January. She became only the second female foreign secretary in British history.
Among the other leading offices of state, finance minister Rishi Sunak – who has overseen big-spending economic support during the pandemic – and hardline interior minister Priti Patel both retained their roles.