Following his promise for a more diverse front bench, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Cabinet reshuffle sees the MP for Spelthorne in Surrey, in south-east England, Kwasi Alfred Addo Kwarteng, British-born with Ghanaian roots, installed as the Minister of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and become a senior member of the government’s cabinet.
Born in Waltham Forest, to Ghanaian parents, the Eton-educated front-bencher who has also served as a member of the public accounts committee in the UK was parliamentary private secretary to the Leader of the House of Lords, Baroness Evans of Bowes Park.
Having studied for a doctorate in British History at Cambridge, he is a graduate of Harvard University and has written several books, including Ghost of Empire: War and Gold and Thatcher’s Trial.
Elected as MP in 2010, he has consistently supported local enterprise and called in Parliament for business-friendly reforms - one of his achievements being finding local entrepreneurs of tomorrow.
He also launched the Spelthorne Business Plan Competition in 2013.
Frequently tipped to become Britain’s first Black Tory cabinet minister, in 2018, the former junior Brexit minister, popularly known as the ‘Black Boris’, was appointed Undersecretary of State in the Department for Exiting the European Union following the resignation of Sue-Ellen Braverman.
The appointment of Kwasi Alfred Addo Kwarteng adds to former home secretary – and former leadership contender -Sajid Javid becoming Chancellor of the Exchequer whilst Priti Patel returns to front-line politics as the new Home Secretary.
James Cleverly, the MP for Braintree in Essex, is the new Part Chair in PM Johnson’s re-shuffle.
