South West Norfolk MP Liz Truss becomes Foreign Secretary

South West Norfolk MP Liz Truss has been made the new Foreign Secretary by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

The news has broken this afternoon and came after weeks of speculation about the future of gaffe-prone incumbent Dominic Raab.

Ms Truss was elected as MP for SW Norfolk in May 2010. Although she campaigned for Remain in the referendum she was rewarded with the position of International Trade Secretary by the PM in 2019 and has spent her time since securing new trade deals around the world.

She will also continue in her role as minister for women and equalities.

Mr Raab has been demoted to Justice Secretary but will also be deputy PM and lord chancellor.

With Pritti Patel remaining as Home Secretary, it means two of the four "great offices of state" are now occupied by a woman.

Ms Truss will be only the second woman to occupy the Foreign Secretary position, the first being Labour's Margaret Beckett under Tony Blair in 2006-7.

Campaigners from West Norfolk went down to Westminster today to lobby for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Lynn to be rebuilt and met local MPs, but Ms Truss was not among them. As it turns out the Downham Market MP was on her way to Downing Street to meet the PM while the lobbying was taking place on College Green.

In other Cabinet moves today, Gavin Williamson was sacked as Education Secretary, replacement yet to be announced and Robert Jenrick replaced as Housing Secretary by Michael Gove.