USA: James Cleverly, the UK's foreign secretary, has made a rare public plea to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to maintain him in his current role rather than offer him a new cabinet position following an anticipated reshuffle.
Ben Wallace, the British government's defense secretary, announced last weekend that he intends to resign, sparking speculation about impending changes in the British government. According to reports in the British media, Cleverly is expected to succeed him.
Cleverly responded that he was more than content with his current position when asked about the idea on Wednesday at the Aspen Security Forum in Washington, D.C.
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I love my job as foreign secretary. I've found that the more you do the job and the more relationships you can create, the better you get at it," he said.
He made a lighthearted appeal to them after explaining to the American audience that British officials are actually chosen by the king on the advice of the prime minister.
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I very much want to stay put, he said, "if anyone in the UK is watching, listening, especially you prime minister."
If anyone tries to drag me out of my office, you'll see nail marks down the parquet flooring, Cleverly joked.
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According to media reports, the restructuring could happen as soon as September. The other candidates reportedly being considered to replace Wallace include Tom Tugendhat, the current minister of security, Penny Mordaunt, the speaker of the House of Commons, James Heappey, the minister of defense, and John Glen, a close friend of Sunak who serves as chief secretary to the Treasury.