BUSINESS NEWS

Prime minister Rishi Sunak appoints Grant Shapps as business secretary with Jeremy Hunt retained as chancellor

Prime minister Rishi Sunak appoints Grant Shapps as business secretary with Jeremy Hunt retained as chancellor
Dan Martin
Dan MartinDan Martin Content & Events

Posted: Tue 25th Oct 2022

After officially becoming the UK's new prime minister following an audience with the King, Rishi Sunak has begun appointing his new Cabinet with Grant Shapps taking on the role of business secretary.

He replaces Jacob Rees-Mogg who was given the position by former leader Liz Truss on 6 September but resigned earlier today.

Shapps takes on the business brief after spending only a week as home secretary. He got the job on 19 October after the resignation of Suella Braverman.

The MP for Welwyn Hatfield has some business experience having founded PrintHouse Corporation, a design, print, website creation and marketing business, in 1990.

He also set up How To Corp Limited, a web publishing company which has caused controversy.

Jeremy Hunt re-appointed as chancellor

Sunak has kept Jeremy Hunt as chancellor. He replaced Kwasi Kwarteng during Liz Truss' administration.

Hunt reversed most of the tax cuts in Kwarteng's controversial mini-Budget although the increase to National Insurance, which Sunak announced as chancellor, has been cancelled and will not go ahead.

Hunt is due to give a fiscal plan statement on 31 October.

UPDATE 26/10/22: The Treasury has announced that the fiscal plan statement has been upgraded to a full Autumn Statement and will now take place on 17 November.

Dan Martin
Dan MartinDan Martin Content & Events
I'm a freelance content creator and event host who helps small businesses and the organisations that support them. I'm also Enterprise Nation's Local Leader for Bristol. I have 20 years of experience as a small business journalist having interviewed hundreds of entrepreneurs from famous names like Sir Richard Branson and Deborah Meaden to the founders behind brand new start-ups. I've worked for a range of leading small business publications and support groups, most recently as head of content at Enterprise Nation where I was responsible for the prolific output of content on the company's blog and social media. I now freelance for Enterprise Nation as the website's news reporter and as the host of the Small Business sessions podcast. I'm based in Bristol where I run and host regular events with the local small business community in my role as Enterprise Nation's Local Leader for Bristol. I also have strong connections with other major business organisations in the south west region. In total, I've hosted over 100 events including conferences with an audience of hundreds for international brands like Xero and Facebook and live web chats from inside 10 Downing Street. With my partner, I co-run Lifestyle District, a lifestyle blog focused on culture, art, theatre and photography.

You might also like…

Get business support right to your inbox

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive business tips, learn about new funding programmes, join upcoming events, take e-learning courses, and more.