British PM reshuffles top team, creates new departments

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak named Grant Shapps energy security minister and Kemi Badenoch business and trade minister on Tuesday, as he created four new government departments and made several changes to his top team.

Sunak established a department for energy security and net zero, and one for science, innovation and technology, splitting up a larger department as part of a restructuring he said would help deliver his plans to halve inflation and grow the economy.

Alongside the changes to the roles of Shapps and Badenoch, Michelle Donelan becomes the new minister for science, innovation and technology, while Lucy Frazer is now minister for culture, media and sport.

Sunak named Greg Hands as the new chair of the Conservative Party, replacing Nadhim Zahawi who was sacked after an investigation found he committed a serious breach by not being open about a tax probe.