*** ----> James Cleverly appointed new UK foreign secretary | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

James Cleverly appointed new UK foreign secretary

Agencies | London

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Britain's new prime minister, Liz Truss, has named James Cleverly as her foreign minister, her office said in a statement on Tuesday. Cleverly had served as Education Secretary since July, when Boris Johnson announced he would resign and appointed a caretaker government until a new leader was appointed, Reuters reports.

Cleverly, 53, has risen rapidly through the Conservative ranks since he was first elected as the member of parliament for the English town of Braintree in 2015. He has also served in the foreign ministry as a junior minister, often giving parliamentary updates on Britain's support for Ukraine.

As foreign secretary, Truss established herself as a critic of China as well as Russia, and Cleverly has indicated that her government will take a tough line with both Moscow and Beijing. Like Truss, Cleverly stayed loyal to Johnson and he was an early backer of Truss' campaign to replace him as leader.

Cleverly made his own pitch to be leader in 2019, when former Prime Minister Theresa May stepped down, but was the first candidate to drop out of the race.