LONDON: Boris Johnson appointed Sajid Javid Britain’s new treasury chief, one of the most senior jobs in cabinet, soon after taking oath as prime minister on Wednesday.

Javid will be responsible for spending and economic policy in Johnson’s government.

Javid, a former banker and ex-home secretary, is the first ethnic minority politician to hold the post of Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Read: Unbreakable bond

Priti Patel was named home secretary, replacing Javid.

Formerly interior minister under Theresa May, 49-year-old Javid takes over at the British treasury from Philip Hammond, who has held the job since 2016.

A former City of London banker whose father worked as bus driver after coming to Britain from Pakistan during the 1960s, he is considered a rising star within the Conservative party. He ran against Johnson in the leadership contest, but supported him once eliminated.

Foreign Secretary

Ardent eurosceptic Raab, 45, is a former Brexit secretary who last year resigned from that role in opposition to the divorce deal struck with Brussels.

Another initial contender to replace May, Raab will also now serve as first secretary of state — which means he will be deputising for Johnson when he is away.

Interior Minister

An arch-Brexiteer who served as international development minister from 2016 to 2017, Priti Patel was fired for having secret meetings with the Israeli government.

Patel, 47, did not return to the cabinet under May and was a trenchant critic of her EU divorce deal -- voting against it all three times in parliament and thereby helping to end her tenure as Tory leader.

Minister without portfolio

Gove, 51, fronted the victorious 2016 Brexit referendum campaign alongside Johnson, but then backstabbed him during the ensuing Conservative leadership battle by declaring he was unfit to lead and standing himself.

He has served as environment secretary for three years, and again challenged for the leadership last month -- failing to make the final round.

Officially appointed by Johnson as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, he will reportedly be close to the Brexit negotiations, with responsibility for preparations for a no-deal departure.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2019