LONDON – British Prime Minister Theresa May promotes a junior minister to replace ousted aid secretary Priti Patel, avoiding a major personnel shuffle and maintaining the delicate Brexit balance in her cabinet.
The Conservative leader names Penny Mordaunt, a minister in the welfare department and a strong supporter of Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union, as her new international development secretary.
On Wednesday evening, Patel became the second minister to quit within a week, after a row over unauthorized meetings she had during a holiday to Israel in August, including with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Patel is a prominent Brexit supporter, and some Conservative MPs had pressed for a replacement that would maintain the political — and gender — balance.
Britain’s newly appointed international development secretary, Penny Mordaunt leaves 10 Downing Street in London on November 9, 2017, after being appointed to the position. (AFP Photo/Daniel Leal-Olivas)
Mordaunt had initially been tipped to replace Michael Fallon as defense secretary when he quit on November 1 following allegations of sexual harassment, but that job went to one of May’s close aides, Gavin Williamson.
Mordaunt, a 44-year-old Royal Navy reservist, is the MP for the English naval town of Portsmouth, and served as a junior defense minister before becoming minister for disabled people last year.
— AFP
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