British PM Johnson names Amber Rudd's successor amid Brexit chaos

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has appointed lawmaker Therese Coffey as secretary of state for work and pensions, a spokeswoman told dpa on Sunday, just hours after Amber Rudd stunned Westminster by resigning from the position and condemning Johnson's Brexit strategy.

Rudd's resignation delivered a blow to Johnson, who is facing criticism for actions such as suspending parliament, removing parliamentarians from his party and calling for snap elections. He has vowed that Britain will leave the EU on October 31, with or without a deal.

Coffey, appointed environment minister and a lawmaker for the constituency Suffolk Coastal in eastern England, backed Remain during the EU referendum in 2016 and voted against legalizing gay marriage in 2013.

Speaking to the BBC on Sunday, Rudd said she was not impressed with Johnson's efforts to secure a deal for a negotiated exit.

"I have not seen enough work going into actually trying to get a deal. When I asked Number 10 for a summary of what the plan was for actually getting a deal, I was sent a one-page summary," she said.

Among the Tory rebels that were kicked out of the faction this week are such prominent members as former chancellor of the exchequer Ken Clarke and the grandson of war premier Winston Churchill, Nicholas Soames.

On Thursday, the prime minister's brother, Jo Johnson, resigned his office as secretary of state and his mandate as a member of parliament for the Tories.