Boris Johnson appoints his party’s first female foreign secretary

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson appointed his party’s first female foreign secretary on Wednesday. 

After moving several people around in his party, Liz Truss became the Conservative Party’s first female foreign secretary, replacing Dominic Raab, Reuters reported.

Truss was moved to the foreign secretary position after spending time in the trade department, where she successfully handled multiple trade deals. 

Raab was replaced after he received backlash for going on vacation while the Taliban was taking over Afghanistan. 

Johnson demoted several people Wednesday and pushed to lift politicians who stayed out of controversy, according to Reuters. The reshuffling has sparked both praise and condemnation from the party.

“We know the public also want us to deliver on their priorities, and that’s why the prime minister wants to ensure we have the right team in place for that,” Johnson’s spokesman said Wednesday. 

The justice, education and housing minister were all replaced, with a source from Johnson’s office telling Reuters that the leader wanted ministers “with a focus on uniting and leveling up the whole country.”