Philip Hammond to be new UK Foreign Minister

July 15, 2014 03:40 pm | Updated November 16, 2021 05:35 pm IST - LONDON

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond will become Britain’s new Foreign Secretary as Prime Minister David Cameron shakes up his Cabinet ahead of an election next year.

Michael Fallon was named to the top defence post, moving up from being a junior Minister dealing with energy, business and enterprise.

Controversial Education Secretary Michael Gove becomes Chief Whip, shaping the Conservative-led government’s message on television and radio, and will have a central role in the campaign, Mr. Cameron said Tuesday.

William Hague stepped down as Foreign Minister on Monday night and will serve as leader of the House of Commons until he leaves national politics next year. He played a major role during a series of crises in the Middle East during his tenure.

Mr. Cameron also removed a number of mid-level Ministers in the most wide-ranging Cabinet changes since he took the helm of a coalition government in 2010.

More changes are expected, with Mr. Cameron expected to make the Cabinet younger and with more women.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.