Suella Braverman, who is of Indian origin, on Tuesday replaced Priti Patel as the United Kingdom’s home secretary in the Liz Truss Cabinet, reported PTI.
The 42-year-old MP from the ruling Conservative Party had served as the attorney general in the Boris Johnson-led government.
Born to a Hindu Tamil mother Uma and Goan-origin father Christie Fernandes, Braverman is a Buddhist. She took her oath of office in Parliament on the Dhammapada.
Braverman was one of the first Conservative politicians to announce her candidacy for the prime minister’s post after Johnson announced his resignation on July 7 following his involvement in the Partygate scandal.
The controversy pertained to parties organised by Johnson and his staff during lockdowns imposed to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease. Johnson resigned after several ministers and aides from his Cabinet quit over two days, beginning with former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak and former Health Secretary Sajid Javid.
However, Braverman was knocked out in the second round of voting on July 15, after which she announced her support for Truss.
On Monday, Truss took over as the UK’s new prime minister as she was named as the leader of the ruling Conservative Party. She secured 81,326 of the 1,72,437 votes cast by party members. Her competitor Rishi Sunak got 60,399 votes. Of the total votes cast, 654 were rejected.
Braverman, a pro-Brexit MP who wants Britain to completely leave the European Union, is likely to take a harsh stance on immigration matters, especially government’s plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda – a decision that the European Court of Human Rights did not allow the UK to implement, according to The Guardian.
Braverman is also expected to take the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights.
“Leaving the ECHR is the only solution which solves the problem, and is entirely consistent with international law,” she had written in a magazine article in July.
The Conservative MP will be dealing with a record number of unprocessed asylum cases and dropping rates of prosecution for sexual offences and burglaries, according to The Guardian.
Meanwhile, Truss has appointed Kwasi Kwarteng, of Ghanese origin, as the UK’s first black chancellor of the exchequer, reported The Times of India. James Cleverly, born to a Sierra Leonean mother and English father, is now the foreign secretary.
This means that for the first time in UK’s history, the four major portfolios in the government – of the prime minister, home secretary, chancellor of the exchequer and foreign secretary – will not be held by a white male.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!