"For the first time in British history, white men have been excluded from the 4 most important positions in the country's cabinet." Reuters reported on September 7 that in addition to Terras as prime minister, she also appointed Kwarten, Klevelli and Brefman as chancellors of the exchequer, foreign affairs and home affairs respectively, three of African descent, non-British mixed and Indian descent. In response, the Conservative Party boasted: "The new cabinet once again reminds people from different backgrounds that people from different backgrounds can go further within the Conservative Party." Britain's right-wing Daily Mail lamented: "There is no place for white men in the offices of the great nation." More media pointed out that the above three ministers in important positions, "each of them is a staunch ally of Terrass." Labour politicians callEde Tras's new cabinet "going to be one of the most right-wing in people's memory", that diversity is just "a façade", and that the Conservative government wanted to send a plane of refugees to Rwanda in June.
"It's actually a façade"
After Tras announced the list of cabinets on the evening of the 6th, the racial diversity of this cabinet immediately attracted media attention, and the three important positions such as the chancellor of the exchequer were held by ethnic minorities. Reuters said on the 7th that until a few decades ago, most members of the British government were still white men. But the Washington Post said such appointments were unsurprising, as the three key cabinet ministers were all strongly supportive of Terrass during the campaign. And although the ministers elected by Terrass were racially diverse, they were all right-wingers. Kwaten had pushed britain to leave the European Union quickly, and Breferman argued that schools could legally "ignore" transgender students. Britain's "New Statesman" also said on the 6th that The new cabinet of Tras is the most right-wing of this generation.
On September 6, 2022, local time, London, England, the new British Prime Minister Elizabeth Tras delivered an inaugural speech outside the Prime Minister's Office at 10 Downing Street. Image source: The Paper
Labor Party politician Aziz commented on Tras's cabinet appointment on Twitter on the 6th: "In this country, it is not enough to be a black or minority politician or cabinet member. That's not what it means. This is actually decorating the façade. "Despite all the talk of diversity and inclusion, the Conservatives' colored candidates and all those running for the campaign support the party's right-wing immigration policies, including the removal of asylum seekers from the UK." Labour MP Cordoba also said that while Terrass' cabinet was diverse, "it would be the most right-wing cabinet in people's memory".
According to the BBC, Sunak's supporters were all excluded, and key cabinet positions were all controlled by "close friends" of Tras, which caused dissatisfaction among some Conservative Party members. The BBC said nepotism was also one of Johnson's previous criticisms.
Kofi, deputy prime minister and health minister of the Terrass cabinet, denied in an interview on the 7th that Terrasse had formed a "close friend cabinet", and she insisted that this was "the most diverse cabinet ever". She also said that After taking office, Terrass began pushing for a plan to freeze the upper limit on household energy bills, but "it still takes time" to continue to be finalized, with detailed plans to be announced later this week. The Guardian said on the 7th that this plan needs to invest 100 billion pounds, and where the money comes from is still a question.
Foreign Secretary "Focuses on China's Influence"
French 24-hour TV said on the 7th that although the British Conservative Party launched a "pluralism campaign", only 1/4 of the Conservative MPs are women, and 6% of the Conservative MPs are from ethnic minorities. After becoming the first African-American Chancellor of the Exchequer, Kwaten downplayed his racial label. He said that despite experiencing racial discrimination, he doesn't see himself as a symbol of anyone outside his constituency, "I don't think [ethnicity] is a big deal." The BBC said on the 7th that the decisions made by Kvoten in the coming days and weeks will have a huge impact on the country's prospects and the prospects for the Conservative Party to remain in power, and "millions of people are counting on him to help cope with the soaring winter energy bill".
Kvoten Infographic
In contrast to Kwaten, the new foreign secretary, Clefley, has always looked at his ethnic identity. When he became a Member of Parliament in London in 2002, his first move was to write a report on how the Conservatives had won over black voters. He was one of the first Conservative Party members to support Mr. Truss's bid for prime minister. Klefferley said Trastevere has been focusing on Beijing "for a while" and that "we do need to focus on China's influence, not only on the world stage, but also in the UK." Some senior Conservatives have said privately that his appointment "is intended to allow Tras to remain foreign secretary during his tenure at 10 Downing Street," and they believe the new prime minister wants to keep diplomatic decision-making in his own hands.
Clayverly Infographic
On the 6th local time, the first call arrangement with foreign leaders after Tras took office as the new British prime minister was arranged to Ukrainian President Zelenskiy. According to the Office of Terrass, in addition to reiterating its firm support for Ukraine, Terrasse has gladly accepted the invitation to visit Ukraine in the near future. Reuters said on the 7th that as foreign minister, Truss portrayed himself as a critic of China and Russia, and Clefley also said immediately after taking office: "We must firmly support President Zelenskiy and the Ukrainian people, and we must do this." I have no doubt that we will continue to be staunch friends now, as we were when Johnson was in office. This is the most urgent thing at the moment. ”
"The darling of the British right, Breffman took over the government's toughest job." Agence France-Presse said on the 7th that the government is currently involved in a legal battle, that is, how to continue to promote the plan to send refugees who illegally cross the English Channel to Rwanda. This thorny political issue will test the new Home Secretary, Brefferman.
Breffman Infographic
"About to enjoy a standoff with Putin"
US President Joe Biden spoke to Tras on the 6th local time and congratulated her on her assumption of the post of prime minister. According to the White House briefing, the two spoke about supporting Ukraine to "defend against Russian aggression," addressing "the challenge posed by China," preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, and ensuring sustainable and affordable energy.
The Guardian said European Commission President von der Leyen congratulated Traus on Twitter, while urging Tras to respect the Brexit agreement and calling on her to look at the UK-EU relationship from a "bigger perspective". French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Schoelz also congratulated Mr. Truss, who said "Britain is our ally." But Tras said at an August Conservative party meeting that she had not yet decided whether Macron was "a friend or an enemy".
The Guardian said that in fact, EU officials' expectations for improving relations with Terrasse are "low", and Terrass intends to overturn the Brexit agreement, which may plunge the UK and eu into a trade war.
The BBC said the world's reaction to Britain's new prime minister was applause and sarcasm. Russia considers The election of Terrass to be a "catastrophe for Britain". Russian TV host Trushkin sarcastically said: "She has gone to see the queen." May the Queen recognize her. The Irish Times also disparaged Tras: "She made Johnson look like a political genius, May look like a sympathetic hostess, cameron like a reliable beacon." The New York Times said Mr. Tras was "about to enjoy the standoff with Putin."
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Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwaten
Born in London in 1975, Kwaten was the same age as Tras, elected to parliament in the same year, and the two families lived not far apart, and the British newspaper The Times described Kwarten and Tras as "Batman and Robin", "they have a clear attitude and are consistent with each other".
Kvoten's parents immigrated to England from Ghana in the 1960s and were prominent economists and lawyers. According to the BBC, no one questioned Kwarten's intelligence and self-confidence. He was a veritable academic bully, attending Eton College in secondary school, then entering Cambridge University, receiving a doctorate in British history from Trinity College, during which he also took a scholarship to harvard university. Before becoming a member of parliament, Kwaten worked as a financial analyst and was a columnist for the Daily Telegraph. He supported Britain's exit from the European Union in a 2016 referendum. He assisted former Chancellor of the Exchequer Hammond and later served as Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in Johnson's cabinet.
Foreign Secretary Clefferley
Clayverly, 53, is a mixed-race father from The British and a mother from Sierra Leone. Reuters said Clayfree often spoke of his past being bullied as a mixed-race kid and said the Conservatives needed to do more to attract black voters. Compared to Kwautten, Clefley's family was not wealthy and had a low education, with only a bachelor's degree in hospitality management from the West London Institute of Technology. He served in the British Reserve for a long time, rising up to lieutenant colonel. After being elected to Parliament in London in 2007, he was criticised for calling for the abolition of the minimum wage. In 2015, Kleinfrey was elected to the Conservative Parliament for the first time. He served as Secretary of State for the Middle East and North Africa, Secretary of State for Europe and North America, and Briefly served as Secretary of State for Education for two months. He once proposed to "ban China from opening Confucius Institutes in Britain." Kleinfree is currently The Conservative Vice-Chairman.
Home Secretary Breffman
Born in 1980 to parents of Indian descent, Brefman immigrated to the UK from Kenya and Mauritius in the 1960s. Born in London but described as a "child of the British Empire," Brefman completed her bachelor's and master's degrees in law at Cambridge University and a university in Paris, France. In 2018, she was appointed head of Brexit by May, but later resigned because she did not approve of May's Brexit deal.
In 2020, Johnson appointed her Attorney General for England and Wales. This year, she also ran in the Conservative Party's leadership election, but was eliminated after a second round of voting and instead declared her support for Tras.
Brefman supported Britain's withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights and the sending of illegal migrants to Rwanda. In a July article in a parliamentary magazine, she said that "leaving the European Court of Human Rights is the only solution to the problem and is fully in line with international law".
Source: Global Times - Global Network