British Prime Minister Theresa May appointed on Monday Jeremy Hunt as foreign secretary to replace Borish Johnson in wake of his resignation earlier in the day.
The appointment of Hunt, the long-serving health minister, sees a close May ally replace the maverick Johnson, and could alter the Brexit balance of May’s top ministerial team.
Johnson stepped down in protest at the government’s plans for a close trading relationship with the European Union.
While Johnson was one of the most high-profile Brexit campaigners, Hunt backed “Remain” during the 2016 referendum campaign.
Hunt told LBC Radio in October 2017, however, that he had changed his mind on the issue, in part because of what he said was disappointing “arrogance” in the EU’s behavior during negotiations.
“Huge honor to be appointed Foreign Secretary at this critical moment in our country’s history,” he said in a tweet after his appointment.
“Time to back our PM to get a great Brexit deal - it’s now or never...”
Hunt, 51, had served as health minister for more than five-and-a-half years, the longest term of any in the history of the state-funded National Health Service, weathering doctors’ strikes, public discontent with funding levels and other challenges.
Hunt said it was a “massive wrench” for him to leave the department, adding: “I know some staff haven’t found me the easiest Health Sec”.
Matt Hancock replaced Hunt as health secretary, while Attorney General Jeremy Wright was appointed as minister of digital culture, media and sport, Hancock’s old job. May’s office said Geoffrey Cox would be the new attorney general.
Johnson's dramatic resignation came just hours after Brexit minister David Davis quit late on Sunday. Dominic Raab, a Brexit supporter and former housing minister, was appointed to replace him only days before negotiations in Brussels are due to resume next week.
May will chair on Tuesday a meeting of her new-look cabinet as she clings to power amid political turmoil over Brexit.
She has faced a backlash over the plan from Brexit hardliners in her Conservative Party who say it gives too many concessions to the EU, but she has support from moderates and there has been no challenge to her leadership.
British and EU officials are hoping to strike a deal on the terms of Britain's withdrawal and agree to a plan for future trade ties in time for an EU summit in October.
"With just weeks left to conclude negotiations on leaving the EU, this is a critical moment for the country," the Financial Times wrote in an editorial.
"This confrontation between Brexiters and reality was long overdue," it said, adding that May "should have faced down the hardliners before negotiations formally began".
It said May now faces "the specter of a leadership challenge," but it was "possible that after a period of resignations and political blood-letting, the Conservative Party will fall behind the prime minister".
May's Conservative opponents could trigger a confidence vote against her if at least 48 MPs support it, but to actually force her from office 159 MPs would have to vote against her -- a figure hardliners may not be able to reach.
May has said she will fight off any attempt to unseat her.
Much will depend on European reactions to May's plan and she is due to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel later on Tuesday at the Western Balkans Summit in London.
The Guardian newspaper quoted an unnamed Conservative MP saying the resignations would continue in protest against her plan to keep strong economic ties with the EU -- dubbed the Chequers plan after her country retreat where it was agreed last week.
"They'll keep going, one by one, until she either junks Chequers or goes," the MP was quoted as saying.
But former Conservative leader William Hague, writing in the Daily Telegraph, said May's critics had failed to produce "any credible alternative proposal" and warned that further resignations could put Brexit itself "at risk".
