Liz Truss builds ‘cabinet of cronies’

The Independent's Morning Headlines email [View online]( September 07, 2022 [Morning Headlines]( 1 / [Liz Truss conducts clear-out of Sunak supporters as she builds ‘cabinet of cronies’]( Liz Truss's hopes of uniting her party after a fractious leadership contest were tonight at risk after she conducted a brutal cabinet clearout of supporters of rival Rishi Sunak in her first hours as prime minister. The new PM constructed a top team of close allies, including Kwasi Kwarteng as chancellor and James Cleverly as foreign secretary, with hardline right-winger Suella Braverman - a supporter of withdrawal from the European Court of Human Rights - becoming home secretary and Therese Coffey appointed the UK's first female deputy prime minister as well as taking the health brief. Jacob Rees-Mogg was made business secretary after taking part in talks with energy companies on a package of measures to tackle the cost of living crisis, due to be unveiled on Thursday and expected to include a £2,500 price freeze for households costing £90bn, as well as additional help for businesses. One former minister told The Independent of fears that Ms Truss was creating a "cabinet of cronies", putting personal loyalty to her over the competence needed at a time of virtually unprecedented crisis. Ms Truss will go head to head with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer for the first time today at PMQs.   2 / [‘A disaster waiting to happen’: Bury voters unconvinced by Liz Truss as prime minister]( Despatch: ‘I wouldn’t trust her as far I could throw her’, says one retired care worker 3 / [Rwanda ‘not a safe third country’ for asylum seekers and UK deal must be stopped, UN tells court]( UN Refugee Agency says policy amounts to the ‘unlawful penalisation’ of refugees who use small boats 4 / [NHS England could see energy bills rise ‘from £600m to over £2bn’ without help, Truss warned]( Slow progress on improving energy efficiency in the public sector estate has meant it faces ‘extraordinary bills’ this winter 5 / [Liverpool shooting: Olivia Pratt-Korbel’s mother tells daughter’s killer to ‘own up’ as she speaks out for first time]( Canadian authorities identify two suspects as Damien and Myles Sanderson and advise public to take precautions     The Big Question Who was the Roman statesman Cincinnatus mentioned by Boris Johnson in his farewell speech? As he made his farewell address to the nation outside 10 Downing Street on Tuesday morning, outgoing prime minister Boris Johnson could not resist slipping in one final signature reference to the classics. “Like Cincinnatus, I am returning to my plough and I will be offering this government nothing but the most fervent support,” he said. Here is a little background on the revered Roman leader, whom Mr Johnson flatteringly compared himself to without apparently considering the full ramifications of the parallel. [For the full story click here >](   Watch/ [Liz Truss wins Tory leadership race to be next prime minister](   NUMBER OF THE DAY 1,290 – The total [death toll]( from the devastating Pakistan floods so far, with 33m people displaced by the disaster.   QUOTE OF THE DAY “I’m down to one meal a day now. I buy the yellow-label products in Asda and I get cheap cuts of meat, like bacon, and tins of haricot beans and lentils. I try to eat healthy for that meal, so no sugar or sweeteners – just plain fresh veg, some meat and some salads.” – Graeme Hubbard, 61, tells The Independent of [the hardships he is already facing]( as he calls on new prime minister Liz Truss to help those in need with the cost of living crisis.       Other stories you might like   [Trump had top secret papers about foreign nation’s nuclear defences at Mar-a-Lago, report says](   [Boris Johnson’s claim to have reformed social care denounced as ‘one final insult’](   [Husband tells of ‘shock’ at wife’s death after eating Pret wrap](       Articles available exclusively to subscribers John Rentoul, The Independent - [Boris Johnson’s final speech was all wrong – no one likes a sore loser](   Other newsletters you might like [The Race Report] The Race Report Fortnightly, 7am (UK time) Written by Nadine White [Sign up]( [Inside Politics] Inside Politics Weekdays, 8am (UK time) Written by Matt Mathers [Sign up](   If you can spare a minute we’d love your [feedback]( on our newsletters. 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