THERESE Coffey has been appointed Health Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister in Liz Truss’s new Cabinet.
She takes over from Steve Barclay, who was appointed in Boris Johnson’s caretaker administration amid the wave of resignations over the Chris Pincher scandal which eventually forced him out of office.
Coffey formerly served as work and pensions secretary, a role she held since 2019.
A Truss loyalist, Coffey also defended the former prime minister over the Pincher scandal, insisting he did not know “specific claims” about his behaviour – something which was later revealed to be untrue.
She will take control of a beleaguered NHS south of the Border, which has suffered from the after-effects of the Covid crisis.
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And being appointed as Truss’s deputy means she will be the Prime Minister’s stand in when necessary.
According to friends of Coffey she is on the left of the Conservative Party, and has long been a friend of the new Prime Minister.
She voted against introducing gay marriage in England and Wales and also backed Remain in the Brexit referendum, saying she was branded a “traitor” on the campaign trail.
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