UK's Johnson demotes foreign secretary in Cabinet shake-up

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has demoted his top diplomat and fired the education minister in a Cabinet reshuffle, as he attempted to move on from a series of political missteps and U-turns

LONDON -- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson demoted his top diplomat and fired his education minister in a major government shakeup Wednesday, as he tried to move on from a series of political missteps and revive his promise to “level up” prosperity across the U.K.

In the biggest move, Johnson demoted Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who has faced criticism for delaying his return from a holiday in Greece as the Taliban took over Afghanistan last month.

Raab was appointed justice secretary with the added title of deputy prime minister. Despite the grand title, that is a demotion — the deputy has no formal constitutional role.

His replacement is ex-International Trade Secretary Liz Truss, a favorite of the Conservative Party's grassroots who has won praise for her work negotiating trade deals with Australia and Japan since Britain left the European Union last year. Truss will also remain minister for women and equalities.