In a cabinet reshuffle just two months after returning to 10 Downing Street, where United Kingdom’s Prime Minsiter Boris Johnson appointed a new Chancellor of the Treasury, just three weeks ahead of the first post-Brexit budget, he also appointed a new Attorney General. The interesting aspect of the two new appointments is that both the persons inducted into the cabinet are of Indian origin. While Rishi Sunak who becomes UK’s new finance minister is the son-in-law of Narayan Murthy, the new law advisor to the crown is Suella Braverman (nee Fernandes) has Goan origins, her parents having been from Bardez, though she was born in the UK.
Braverman, in the five years that she has been a Conservative Member of Parliament from Fareham, has risen up the political ladder quite quickly. A barrister having studied law, she was Parliamentary Private Secretary to the ministers of the Treasury and then served in the UK government of Theresa May as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Exiting the European Union. She is a Brexiter having voted to leave the European Union. On her website she had earlier said, “Like the majority of people in Fareham, I voted to leave the European Union. I believe that the British people should control our borders, our laws and our trade policy and I support Theresa May's clear plan to create a new relationships with the EU based on co-operation.”
She, however, later quit the May government and remained on the backbenches during Johnson’s first term as Prime Minister. On her re-election to the House of Commons, she was again over looked for a place in the cabinet or in government. Her appointment as Attorney General, a key and senior position in the British government as she now assumes office as legal adviser to the crown, came as a surprise. At 39, she possibly is one of UK’s youngest Attorney Generals. The tasks ahead will weigh heavily, as she also has no past cabinet experience, though she was part of the May government. In a tweet, hours after the appointment being made, she said, is looking forward to serving the country and delivering on the exciting agenda.
Her appointment has raised already some eyebrows, with a section of the UK media seeing this as a signal that Johnson is willing ‘to treat on judicial toes as he forces through potentially fundamental changes with the Constitution, Democracy and Rights Commission which he plans to establish’. Critics point to a blog post of Braverman where she said that the UK parliament should seize back control not only from the European Union but also the courts. Her statements were, “Restoring sovereignty to Parliament after Brexit is one of the greatest prizes that awaits us. But not just from the EU. As we start this new chapter of our democratic story, our Parliament must retrieve power ceded to another place – the courts.” As Attorney General, Braverman may not have direct control over the British legal system, but her office will oversee the prosecution services.
The Indian links in the cabinet apart, there are other issues that need to be dealt with. Brexit became a reality a fortnight ago. Johnson’s cabinet reshuffle and the storming out of Sajid Javid from the cabinet raises doubts of the handling of the situation by the British government. Javid is too senior a member of the Conservative Party for Johnson to ignore. The Prime Minister will have to rehabilitate Javid with some senior position. The MP is too senior to be relegated to the back benches at a time when the UK government needs all possible hands and minds to craft the future for the country outside the European Union.