Rishi Sunak has confirmed Jeremy Hunt and Ben Wallace are staying in post – but it’s all change elsewhere following a purge of Liz Truss’ cabinet.

The new prime minister, the third in 50 days, is making senior appointments after being confirmed in office this morning and sacking more than a third of the government’s top team.

Ex-foreign secretary Dominic Raab has been rewarded for his loyalty and drafted back into government as justice secretary, a role he has held before.

Mr Raab also becomes deputy prime minister for the second time, a title he had under Boris Johnson, including during his near-fatal brush with Covid-19.

The chancellor was widely tipped to remain in the Treasury in order to project stability ahead of a key financial statement on October 31.

Mr Wallace, the defence secretary, was also expected to keep his job to provide continuity during the war in Ukraine.

Foreign secretary James Cleverly has also survived the overhaul and will remain as foreign secretary despite being a vocal Boris Johnson-backer.

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Rishi Sunak will become the new UK Prime Minister today after winning the ruling Conservative Party’s leadership contest triggered by Liz Truss’ resignation last week.

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Suella Braverman looks set for a cabinet return despite resigning less than a week ago over a security breach.

Grant Shapps and Oliver Dowden are also to be handed big jobs after being seen entering Downing Street.

Ex-Welsh secretary Simon Hart has been made chief whip and will be tasked with enforcing party loyalty during what is certain to be a testing time for the government.

Mr Sunak was formally invited to form a government by King Charles at Buckingham Palace less than 24 hours after being elected unopposed as leader of the Conservative Party.

The re-shuffle marks the third time in less than four months that the government has been completely reconfigured under different leaders.

New appointments are expected throughout the day following the sacking or resignation of several ministers, some of whom were loyal to Boris Johnson or Liz Truss.

Business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg, who campaigned against Mr Sunak in two leadership elections and warned his party last week it was ‘Boris or bust’, has left his role.

Ms Truss’ levelling up secretary Simon Clarke, who worked closely with the new PM in the Treasury before turning on him in the summer leadership election, has been ousted.

Chief whip Wendy Morton is also gone, days after Number 10 were unable to clarify whether or not she had resigned over a shambolic ‘confidence vote’ in the House of Commons.

Welsh secretary Jake Buckland, Conservative Party chairman Jake Berry, one of Mr Johnson’s closest allies, and education secretary Kit Malthouse are all out.

Mr Malthouse’s exit means the crucial department will have a sixth boss in just 13 months.

Foreign office minister Vicky Ford, justice secretary Brandon Lewis and work and pensions secretary Chloe Smith have also left government. 

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All eyes will now be on whether recognisable former ministers like Priti Patel, Michael Gove and Suella Braverman are offered a route back to the top table.

Mr Sunak will also need to decide whether to keep Ben Wallace, the popular defence secretary who is closely associated with efforts to support Ukraine.

In his first speech to the country as PM, Mr Sunak paid tribute to his predecessor before vowing to turn the economy around and deliver the 2019 Tory manifesto, warning ‘difficult decisions’ on cuts will be needed.

He said: ‘I admired [Ms Truss’] restlessness to create change. But some mistakes were made. 

‘Not borne of ill will or bad intentions. Quite the opposite, in fact. But mistakes, nonetheless. 

‘And I have been elected as leader of my party and your prime minister, in part, to fix them.’

Ms Truss gave her farewell speech from the same spot a few hours before. She said: ‘I look forward to spending more time in my constituency and continuing to serve southwest Norfolk from the back benches.

‘Our country continues to battle through a storm. But I believe in Britain, I believe in the British people and I know that brighter days lie ahead.’

This is a breaking news story, more to follow soon… Check back shortly for further updates.

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