Thanks for following. For the latest on who's been moved in and out of the cabinet, head here.
We'll be back in the morning with more live coverage of Liz Truss's first few days as prime minister - including her first prime minister's questions.
A near total purge of Sunak backers
Chris Mason
Political editor
EPACopyright: EPA
It was gone half 10 on Tuesday and cabinet positions were still being filled - a self-imposed deadline from the prime minister approaching with the first meeting of the cabinet at 8.30 BST on Wednesday morning.
There are a handful of striking things about its composition.
There has been a near total purge of those who backed Rishi Sunak.
The only one who I can spot is Michael Ellis, the new attorney general for England and Wales.
And even he will attend cabinet rather than being a cabinet minister, subtle though that distinction is.
This dominance of Truss campaign supporters around the Truss top table is already prompting grumbling among some Tory MPs, although we do await appointments to the more junior ranks in government.
The prime minister's desire for loyalty and building a government in her own image runs the risk of provoking rebellion down the track.
Liz Truss has given her allies top cabinet jobs in a major reshuffle hours after being appointed Britain's third female prime minister following a meeting with Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral Castle earlier.
The new PM gave her first speech outside Downing Street where she said her three early priorities would be the economy, energy and the health service.
Here are her main cabinet appointments so far:
Kwasi Kwarteng is in as chancellor, James Cleverly is foreign secretary and Suella Braverman takes over from Priti Patel as home secretary
Therese Coffey is the new health secretary and deputy PM while Michelle Donelan takes over as culture secretary
Wendy Morton is the first female Conservative chief whip, Penny Mordaunt has been made leader of the House of Commons and Kemi Badenoch becomes international trade secretary
Chloe Smith is work and pensions secretary, Kit Malthouse is the new education secretary and Jacob Rees-Mogg has been appointed business secretary
Simon Clarke moves to the levelling up department, Anne-Marie Trevelyan is in as transport secretary and Nadhim Zahawi has been named chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, minister for intergovernmental relations and equalities minister
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has retained his job, Jake Berry is in as Tory chairman and minister without portfolio, Lord True as leader of the House of Lords and Alok Sharma remains as COP president
Being chancellor is honour of a lifetime, says Kwarteng
The UK's new Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng says his appointment is “the honour of a lifetime”.
The long-time ally and political soulmate of new prime minister Liz Truss takes over at a critical time for the UK economy, with millions looking to him for help with soaring winter energy bills.
Kwarteng has tweeted that this evening he's been finalising a package of urgent support which will be announced later this week.
Michelle
Donelan is known for speaking her mind. When she was universities minister, she
often talked about students being "conned" into getting into debt
doing degrees that might not be worthwhile.
She was most recently promoted to education secretary, but only for two days. She resigned as part of the mass
walk out by ministers that led to Boris Johnson's departure.
Donelan is now the eleventh culture
secretary in ten years. So what’s in her in-tray?
Media watchers will be scouring her
past pronouncements on Channel 4 and the BBC.
Boris Johnson's government planned
to privatise Channel 4. Will Liz Truss feel a similar sense of urgency? The BBC's
funding is under review with Donelan’s predecessor, Nadine Dorries, previously
making clear she wanted to see an end to the licence fee.
Then there is the Online Safety
Bill which seeks to lay down laws on how internet providers clamp down on
harmful content on their sites.
Dorries
wrote she was proud of the bill which "will hold tech giants to account".
But it's on pause and Liz Truss's government must decide whether to get it back
on track.
Graham Stuart becomes climate minister
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
Graham Stuart has been appointed as climate minister and will attend cabinet, No 10 says.
Heappey returns as armed forces minister
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
James Heappey has been appointed minister for armed forces and veterans, Downing Street says. He will attend cabinet.
Heappey was previously armed forces minister - but his brief has now been extended to include veterans after Johnny Mercer, the former veterans minister, was sacked earlier.
Tom Tugendhat is new security minister
Tom Tugendhat has been made security minister in the home office and will attend cabinet.
He reached the final five in the Conservative leadership race before endorsing Liz Truss.
The former Territorial Army officer, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, has been chairman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee since 2017 but this is his first ministerial post.
Tugendhat, who speaks Arabic, was also involved in reconstruction efforts in both countries and was highly critical of the withdrawal from Afghanistan by Western forces in 2021.
He has worked as a journalist in Beirut and a management consultant in the UK.
The father-of-two became an MP in 2015 – for the Kent constituency of Tonbridge, Edenbridge and Malling.
Vicky Ford made development minister
Vicky Ford has been appointed as development minister in the foreign, commonwealth and development office in Liz Truss's government.
Downing Street says she will attend cabinet.
Edward Argar is the new paymaster general
Edward Argar has been appointed paymaster general and minister for the cabinet office.
Downing Street says he will attend cabinet and takes over from the new Attorney General Michael Ellis, who was appointed to the job in September 2021.
Michael Ellis has been made attorney general
Michael Ellis has been given the role of attorney general in Liz Truss's new government.
He is the only supporter of Rishi Sunak who has made it into a top cabinet job.
Chris Philp is chief secretary to the Treasury
Chris Philp has been appointed chief secretary to the Treasury and takes over from new Levelling Up Secretary Simon Clarke.
The former digital minister initially backed Sajid Javid in the leadership race but endorsed Liz Truss in July.
Philp, who has also held junior roles in the Home Office and Ministry of Justice, has spoken of how the NHS saved the lives of his twins after they were born very prematurely at 25 weeks.
He was elected MP for Croydon South in 2015.
Truss speaks to Biden
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media
US President Joe Biden has spoken with Prime Minister Truss this
evening, Downing Street has said, Biden congratulating her on her appointment.
"The prime minister looked forward to working closely with
President Biden as leaders of free democracies to tackle shared challenges,
particularly the extreme economic problems unleashed by Putin's war," a
Downing Street spokeswoman said.
They said Truss and Biden "reflected on the enduring strength
of the special relationship" and agreed build on those links, including by
furthering "our deep defence alliance through Nato and Aukus".
"The leaders reinforced their commitment to strengthening
global liberty, tackling the risks posed by autocracies and ensuring Putin
fails in Ukraine."
The two leaders also "discussed a range of domestic issues"
and agreed on the importance of "protecting the Belfast (Good Friday)
Agreement", adding that they look forward to meeting again soon.
What's in the new transport secretary's in-tray
Katy Austin
Transport Correspondent
New Transport Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan will have many issues to think about, including how to approach
the ongoing wave of industrial action hitting the railways, where strikes could
continue for months.
There’s also a
decision to be made on whether Avanti West Coast will get a new contract to
operate trains on the West Coast mainline, after recently slashing its
schedules amid a staffing crunch.
More government funding announced last month will
have saved some regional bus services for the next six months, but with passenger
usage still below pre-Covid levels and costs rising, what happens after that?
And will the £2 cap on fares promised for all of England, from January to
March, only last for those 3 months?
There's plenty to
think about regarding aviation, and not just working with industry to make sure
airlines and airports have enough staff for next summer. Sustainability
and how the goal of "net zero" in aviation by 2050 can be achieved
are a big focus for the industry.
Other things on
the list include how the current motoring taxes should be replaced as we move
away from petrol and diesel vehicles, and how to ensure the electric vehicle
charging infrastructure meets demand.
Robert Buckland remains Welsh Secretary
Robert Buckland remains Welsh secretary, continuing in the role he took on after Simon Hart’s resignation in July.
He had previously been in the cabinet, as justice secretary, between July 2019 and September 2021 and is also a former solicitor general.
Buckland initially supported former Chancellor Rishi Sunak for the leadership but switched his endorsement to Liz Truss in the middle of August.
The former barrister and Crown Court recorder was elected MP for South Swindon at the second attempt in 2010, overturning a Labour majority.
Buckland, who has twin children, was born in Llanelli and says his interests include music, wine, political history and watching rugby and cricket.
Alister Jack is secretary of state for Scotland
Alister Jack remains secretary of state for Scotland in Liz Truss’s first cabinet, a role he has held since Boris Johnson became prime minister in 2019.
The former government whip did not reveal who he supported in the leadership contest.
Before entering parliament as MP for Dumfries and Galloway in 2017, Jack was a businessman who founded tent-hire and self-storage companies.
Jack, who has three grown up children, is also a dairy farmer and grows Christmas trees.
Downing Street confirms new Northern Ireland Secretary
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
Downing Street has now confirmed that Chris Heaton-Harris has been promoted to the cabinet as Northern Ireland Secretary, as we reported earlier.
He replaces Shailesh Vara who only took on the role in July.
The former chief whip, who could attend cabinet in that role, did not say who he was supporting in the leadership race. He was previously a transport and foreign office minister.
Before becoming a politician, Heaton-Harris ran his family's wholesale fruit and vegetable business in New Covent Garden Market.
He is also a qualified football referee and referees on the Northamptonshire Combination League.
The former MEP, who describes himself as a fierce Eurosceptic, was elected MP for Daventry in 2010.
Michelle Donelan becomes culture secretary
Michelle Donelan has been appointed secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport in Liz Truss's new government.
The former higher and further education minister backed Liz Truss after initially supporting her former boss Nadhim Zahawi and then Penny Mordaunt in the leadership race.
Previously a government whip, Donelan worked in the media and entertainment industry before entering parliament, including a period as communications manager at professional wrestling firm WWE.
The MP for Chippenham, first elected in 2015, says she enjoys walking her dog in her limited spare time.
Anne-Marie Trevelyan is transport secretary
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
Anne-Marie Trevelyan has been appointed transport secretary in Liz Truss's new government.
She had previously been international development secretary but lost her place in the cabinet when the department was scrapped.
An outspoken Brexiteer who resigned from a previous junior ministerial role in 2018 in protest at Theresa May’s Brexit withdrawal deal, she supported Truss in the leadership race.
The former chartered accountant entered the Commons as MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed in 2015 and describes herself as having a passion for singing.
Ranil Jayawardena appointed environment secretary
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Ranil Jayawardena has become environment secretary, taking over from George Eustice.
He was previously a minister in the international trade department, working for Liz Truss before she became foreign secretary, and was an early supporter of her leadership bid.
Jayawardena, who has three children, used to work for Lloyds Bank and was also a councillor in Hampshire.
He entered the Commons as MP for North East Hampshire in 2015.
Live Reporting
Francesca Gillett
All times stated are UK
Get involved
EPACopyright: EPA 
BBCCopyright: BBC - Kwasi Kwarteng is in as chancellor, James Cleverly is foreign secretary and Suella Braverman takes over from Priti Patel as home secretary
- Therese Coffey is the new health secretary and deputy PM while Michelle Donelan takes over as culture secretary
- Wendy Morton is the first female Conservative chief whip, Penny Mordaunt has been made leader of the House of Commons and Kemi Badenoch becomes international trade secretary
- Chloe Smith is work and pensions secretary, Kit Malthouse is the new education secretary and Jacob Rees-Mogg has been appointed business secretary
- Simon Clarke moves to the levelling up department, Anne-Marie Trevelyan is in as transport secretary and Nadhim Zahawi has been named chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, minister for intergovernmental relations and equalities minister
-
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has retained his job, Jake Berry is in as Tory chairman and minister without portfolio, Lord True as leader of the House of Lords and Alok Sharma remains as COP president
View more on twitterView more on twitter 
ReutersCopyright: Reuters 
ReutersCopyright: Reuters 
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images 
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media 
ReutersCopyright: Reuters 
ReutersCopyright: Reuters 
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Latest PostWe're wrapping up our live coverage now
Thanks for following. For the latest on who's been moved in and out of the cabinet, head here.
We'll be back in the morning with more live coverage of Liz Truss's first few days as prime minister - including her first prime minister's questions.
A near total purge of Sunak backers
Chris Mason
Political editor
It was gone half 10 on Tuesday and cabinet positions were still being filled - a self-imposed deadline from the prime minister approaching with the first meeting of the cabinet at 8.30 BST on Wednesday morning.
There are a handful of striking things about its composition.
There has been a near total purge of those who backed Rishi Sunak.
The only one who I can spot is Michael Ellis, the new attorney general for England and Wales.
And even he will attend cabinet rather than being a cabinet minister, subtle though that distinction is.
This dominance of Truss campaign supporters around the Truss top table is already prompting grumbling among some Tory MPs, although we do await appointments to the more junior ranks in government.
The prime minister's desire for loyalty and building a government in her own image runs the risk of provoking rebellion down the track.
More from Chris here
What's the latest at Downing Street?
Liz Truss has given her allies top cabinet jobs in a major reshuffle hours after being appointed Britain's third female prime minister following a meeting with Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral Castle earlier.
The new PM gave her first speech outside Downing Street where she said her three early priorities would be the economy, energy and the health service.
Here are her main cabinet appointments so far:
Read more: Who is in Liz Truss's top team?
Being chancellor is honour of a lifetime, says Kwarteng
The UK's new Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng says his appointment is “the honour of a lifetime”.
The long-time ally and political soulmate of new prime minister Liz Truss takes over at a critical time for the UK economy, with millions looking to him for help with soaring winter energy bills.
Kwarteng has tweeted that this evening he's been finalising a package of urgent support which will be announced later this week.
Michelle Donelan: Who is new Culture Secretary?
Katie Razzall
Culture editor
Michelle Donelan is known for speaking her mind. When she was universities minister, she often talked about students being "conned" into getting into debt doing degrees that might not be worthwhile.
She was most recently promoted to education secretary, but only for two days. She resigned as part of the mass walk out by ministers that led to Boris Johnson's departure.
Donelan is now the eleventh culture secretary in ten years. So what’s in her in-tray?
Media watchers will be scouring her past pronouncements on Channel 4 and the BBC.
Boris Johnson's government planned to privatise Channel 4. Will Liz Truss feel a similar sense of urgency? The BBC's funding is under review with Donelan’s predecessor, Nadine Dorries, previously making clear she wanted to see an end to the licence fee.
Then there is the Online Safety Bill which seeks to lay down laws on how internet providers clamp down on harmful content on their sites.
Dorries wrote she was proud of the bill which "will hold tech giants to account". But it's on pause and Liz Truss's government must decide whether to get it back on track.
Graham Stuart becomes climate minister
Graham Stuart has been appointed as climate minister and will attend cabinet, No 10 says.
Heappey returns as armed forces minister
James Heappey has been appointed minister for armed forces and veterans, Downing Street says. He will attend cabinet.
Heappey was previously armed forces minister - but his brief has now been extended to include veterans after Johnny Mercer, the former veterans minister, was sacked earlier.
Tom Tugendhat is new security minister
Tom Tugendhat has been made security minister in the home office and will attend cabinet.
He reached the final five in the Conservative leadership race before endorsing Liz Truss.
The former Territorial Army officer, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, has been chairman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee since 2017 but this is his first ministerial post.
Tugendhat, who speaks Arabic, was also involved in reconstruction efforts in both countries and was highly critical of the withdrawal from Afghanistan by Western forces in 2021.
He has worked as a journalist in Beirut and a management consultant in the UK.
The father-of-two became an MP in 2015 – for the Kent constituency of Tonbridge, Edenbridge and Malling.
Vicky Ford made development minister
Vicky Ford has been appointed as development minister in the foreign, commonwealth and development office in Liz Truss's government.
Downing Street says she will attend cabinet.
Edward Argar is the new paymaster general
Edward Argar has been appointed paymaster general and minister for the cabinet office.
Downing Street says he will attend cabinet and takes over from the new Attorney General Michael Ellis, who was appointed to the job in September 2021.
Michael Ellis has been made attorney general
Michael Ellis has been given the role of attorney general in Liz Truss's new government.
He is the only supporter of Rishi Sunak who has made it into a top cabinet job.
Chris Philp is chief secretary to the Treasury
Chris Philp has been appointed chief secretary to the Treasury and takes over from new Levelling Up Secretary Simon Clarke.
The former digital minister initially backed Sajid Javid in the leadership race but endorsed Liz Truss in July.
Philp, who has also held junior roles in the Home Office and Ministry of Justice, has spoken of how the NHS saved the lives of his twins after they were born very prematurely at 25 weeks.
He was elected MP for Croydon South in 2015.
Truss speaks to Biden
US President Joe Biden has spoken with Prime Minister Truss this evening, Downing Street has said, Biden congratulating her on her appointment.
"The prime minister looked forward to working closely with President Biden as leaders of free democracies to tackle shared challenges, particularly the extreme economic problems unleashed by Putin's war," a Downing Street spokeswoman said.
They said Truss and Biden "reflected on the enduring strength of the special relationship" and agreed build on those links, including by furthering "our deep defence alliance through Nato and Aukus".
"The leaders reinforced their commitment to strengthening global liberty, tackling the risks posed by autocracies and ensuring Putin fails in Ukraine."
The two leaders also "discussed a range of domestic issues" and agreed on the importance of "protecting the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement", adding that they look forward to meeting again soon.
What's in the new transport secretary's in-tray
Katy Austin
Transport Correspondent
New Transport Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan will have many issues to think about, including how to approach the ongoing wave of industrial action hitting the railways, where strikes could continue for months.
There’s also a decision to be made on whether Avanti West Coast will get a new contract to operate trains on the West Coast mainline, after recently slashing its schedules amid a staffing crunch.
More government funding announced last month will have saved some regional bus services for the next six months, but with passenger usage still below pre-Covid levels and costs rising, what happens after that? And will the £2 cap on fares promised for all of England, from January to March, only last for those 3 months?
There's plenty to think about regarding aviation, and not just working with industry to make sure airlines and airports have enough staff for next summer. Sustainability and how the goal of "net zero" in aviation by 2050 can be achieved are a big focus for the industry.
Other things on the list include how the current motoring taxes should be replaced as we move away from petrol and diesel vehicles, and how to ensure the electric vehicle charging infrastructure meets demand.
Robert Buckland remains Welsh Secretary
Robert Buckland remains Welsh secretary, continuing in the role he took on after Simon Hart’s resignation in July.
He had previously been in the cabinet, as justice secretary, between July 2019 and September 2021 and is also a former solicitor general.
Buckland initially supported former Chancellor Rishi Sunak for the leadership but switched his endorsement to Liz Truss in the middle of August.
The former barrister and Crown Court recorder was elected MP for South Swindon at the second attempt in 2010, overturning a Labour majority.
Buckland, who has twin children, was born in Llanelli and says his interests include music, wine, political history and watching rugby and cricket.
Alister Jack is secretary of state for Scotland
Alister Jack remains secretary of state for Scotland in Liz Truss’s first cabinet, a role he has held since Boris Johnson became prime minister in 2019.
The former government whip did not reveal who he supported in the leadership contest.
Before entering parliament as MP for Dumfries and Galloway in 2017, Jack was a businessman who founded tent-hire and self-storage companies.
Jack, who has three grown up children, is also a dairy farmer and grows Christmas trees.
Downing Street confirms new Northern Ireland Secretary
Downing Street has now confirmed that Chris Heaton-Harris has been promoted to the cabinet as Northern Ireland Secretary, as we reported earlier.
He replaces Shailesh Vara who only took on the role in July.
The former chief whip, who could attend cabinet in that role, did not say who he was supporting in the leadership race. He was previously a transport and foreign office minister.
Before becoming a politician, Heaton-Harris ran his family's wholesale fruit and vegetable business in New Covent Garden Market.
He is also a qualified football referee and referees on the Northamptonshire Combination League.
The former MEP, who describes himself as a fierce Eurosceptic, was elected MP for Daventry in 2010.
Michelle Donelan becomes culture secretary
Michelle Donelan has been appointed secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport in Liz Truss's new government.
The former higher and further education minister backed Liz Truss after initially supporting her former boss Nadhim Zahawi and then Penny Mordaunt in the leadership race.
Previously a government whip, Donelan worked in the media and entertainment industry before entering parliament, including a period as communications manager at professional wrestling firm WWE.
The MP for Chippenham, first elected in 2015, says she enjoys walking her dog in her limited spare time.
Anne-Marie Trevelyan is transport secretary
Anne-Marie Trevelyan has been appointed transport secretary in Liz Truss's new government.
She had previously been international development secretary but lost her place in the cabinet when the department was scrapped.
An outspoken Brexiteer who resigned from a previous junior ministerial role in 2018 in protest at Theresa May’s Brexit withdrawal deal, she supported Truss in the leadership race.
The former chartered accountant entered the Commons as MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed in 2015 and describes herself as having a passion for singing.
Ranil Jayawardena appointed environment secretary
Ranil Jayawardena has become environment secretary, taking over from George Eustice.
He was previously a minister in the international trade department, working for Liz Truss before she became foreign secretary, and was an early supporter of her leadership bid.
Jayawardena, who has three children, used to work for Lloyds Bank and was also a councillor in Hampshire.
He entered the Commons as MP for North East Hampshire in 2015.