British PM carries out cabinet mini-reshuffle

British Prime Minister Theresa May has carried out a mini-reshuffle of cabinet as she appointed four secretaries following the resignation of former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt was named on Monday as Britain's new Foreign Secretary, replacing Johnson who resigned earlier in the day, Xinhua news agency reported.

Culture Secretary Matt Hancock replaced Hunt. Attorney General Jeremy Wright was named as Hancock's replacement as Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, while Geoffrey Cox was appointed as Attorney General attending Cabinet.

Queen Elizabeth approved all of the appointments, Downing Street said.

May vowed to fight any challenge to her leadership after a day of high drama at Westminster.

First her chief Brexit minister David Davis resigned from her cabinet, followed hours later by the resignation of one of her top ministers, Johnson.

They resigned over May's proposals for a soft Brexit, which Davis said did not deliver what people voted for in the 2016 national referendum when the majority of people in Britain opted to leave the European Union.

The changes came as May reshaped her top team as she prepares to publish a government white paper, spelling out her proposals for a Brexit deal with the European Union.

Political commentators said May had placed some of her most loyal ministers into the top jobs in a signal that it is business as usual for her government.

The appointments may also head off the prospect of a challenge to May's leadership.

--IANS

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