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UK Conservative Mel Stride Appointed As New Leader of House Of Commons - Report

The news comes after former Commons leader Andrea Leadsom resigned on late Wednesday, citing clashes with UK prime minister Theresa May's Brexit deal.
Sputnik

UK treasury minister Mel Stride was appointed as Commons leader, a Downing Street spokesperson confirmed on Thursday.

MP for Central Devon, Mr Mel Stride, was the former financial secretary to the Treasury, with Jess Norman replacing Stride's position. Mr Stride is set to attend Cabinet meetings, No 10 said.

UK Prime Minister May's Commons Leader Leadsom Resigns Over Brexit Disagreement
More Cabinet shuffling includes former arts minister Michael Ellis' being appointed as Transport minister and backbencher Rebecca Pow becoming a junior minister for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Mrs Leadsom shocked Commons after announcing her resignation from the Cabinet Offices on late Wednesday, stating that she "no longer believed" that the government's Brexit strategy "could deliver on the referendum result".

Mrs Leadsom said in a letter to PM May that Britain would not be a "truly sovereign" country through her deal and that a second referendum on Brexit would be "dangerously divisive".

READ MORE: European Stocks Tumble Amid PM May Leadership Bid, Brexit, US-China Trade War

The latest Cabinet reshuffle comes as UK prime minister Theresa May faces growing backlash across all political parties over her fourth attempt to push her Brexit plan through Commons, with the last-ditch effort seen by MPs as a signal that she should resign. No 10 has delayed publishing the latest Withdrawal Agreement. Since forming her Conservative government in June 2017, roughly a dozen Cabinet departures and fifty resignations have occurred, with seven Cabinet members resigning in November 2018, as well as former defence secretary Gavin Williamson being sacked over the Huawei leak scandal in May 2019 and Baroness Manzoor quitting due to "personal circumstances" the same month.

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