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Liz Truss has appointed an ally of Rishi Sunak to her Government as she looks to put an end to Tory squabbling. Divisions within the Conservatives have dominated the first month of the Prime Minister’s premiership, with the party leader eager to now bring her warring MPs together.
In a bid to prove she wants to unify the Tories, she has handed a Government job to Greg Hands, who backed her rival in the Conservative leadership race.
Last month Ms Truss was accused of surrounding herself with loyalists after sacking all Cabinet ministers who backed Mr Sunak.
Even the vast majority of junior ministerial positions went to those who pledged their support to her in the fight to replace Boris Johnson over the summer.
Mr Hands has been appointed as the UK trade minister.
READ MORE: Nadine Dorries issues stark warning to Truss as Tory rating stumbles
Before the resignation of the former incumbent of No10, he served in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
In a statement on social media last night, Mr Hands said: “An honour and a great privilege to be in His Majesty’s Government.
“Thanks Prime Minister Liz Truss for the confidence – and looking forward to being back at the Department of Trade, working with Secretary of State Kemi Badenoch, her ministerial team and our brilliant trade officials.”
Grant Shapps, who has been critical of Ms Truss over the past week, described the hire as a “welcome addition” to the Government.
Grant Shapps, who has been critical of Ms Truss over the past week, described the hire as a “welcome addition” to the Government.
Meanwhile, Whitney MP Robert Courts said Mr Hands was “hugely experienced, deeply knowledgeable about trade, and an outstanding minister”.
Parliamentary Under Secretary in the Department for Work and Pensions, Alex Burghart, said he was an “excellent minister”, while Lewes MP Maria Caulfield described it as a “great appointment”.
Ms Truss is seeking to meet Tory rebels halfway in a bid to unify the party.
A No 0 source said the “cold, hard reality” is the Tories must “get behind Liz” or wind up with a “monstrous coalition of Labour and the SNP”.
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