Sunak to hold first cabinet meeting, face opposition as new UK PM

Newly appointed UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will face off against opposition lawmakers for the first time on Wednesday. He will answer questions at Prime Minister's Questions at lunchtime and it is being seen as the first big test of his leadership. It is expected to be a raucous parliamentary session following weeks of political turmoil. On Tuesday, Sunak unveiled a new cabinet, removing almost a dozen Conservative ministers.

He will also hold a meeting of his brand new cabinet Wednesday morning. His cabinet includes allies and some former Truss backers. There are also a number of figures from the right wing of the Conservative Party. James Cleverly continues as foreign secretary and Ben Wallace is defence secretary. 

Sunak decided to continue with Jeremy Hunt as finance minister who was appointed by his predecessor Liz Truss just 12 days ago. Experienced leaders such as Dominic Raab and Michael Gove, make a comeback. Raab has been made deputy PM and justice secretary in the new cabinet.

However, Suella Braverman's reappointment as home secretary has raied some eyebrows. She had quit just a few days back citing a breach of ministerial code and pointing fingers at Truss for the state of affairs in the country. The Labour Party has accused Sunak of "putting party before country".

Sunak now faces an uphill task of restoring the country's economic credibility which had gone haywire during the little time Truss was in-charge. The pound hit a six-week high on Tuesday after Sunak's appointment in a sign that the markets approve of the country's new leader. Hunt is currently scheduled to present a fiscal statement on October 31 which Sunak is likely to postpone.

Meanwhile, Sunak also spoke with several world leaders on Tuesday. He called up US President Joe Biden and the two leaders "reaffirmed the special relationship" between the UK and US, and "agreed on the importance of working together to support Ukraine and hold Russia accountable for its aggression".

He also talked to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and assured that the UK's support for the embattled country will remain "as strong as ever". 

He also spoke with Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, and Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford.