Prime Minister David Cameron appointed Philip Hammond as foreign minister on Tuesday as he reshuffles his cabinet ahead of the 2015 general election.
Prime Minister David Cameron appointed Philip Hammond as foreign minister on Tuesday as he reshuffles his cabinet ahead of the 2015 general election.
"Philip Hammond is the new Foreign Secretary," Cameron said on his official Twitter feed.
Hammond, who has served as Defense Secretary since 2011, replaces William Hague, who resigned late on Monday.
Cameron also appointed Michael Fallon as Defense Secretary. Fallon, who had served as Minister for Business and Enterprise and as Minister of State for Energy, replaces Philip Hammond.
Hammond and Fallon earlier this year suggested that Cameron's Conservative party should campaign for Britain to leave the European Union if a planned renegotiation of ties proved unsuccessful.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague announced his surprise resignation on Monday night ahead of a closely-fought national election next May as part of Prime Minister David Cameron's biggest ever reshuffle of top government jobs.
Hague, Britain's most senior diplomat for the past four years and a former leader of Cameron's Conservative party, said he was standing down with immediate effect to take up a more junior ministerial post.
The British leader has promised to try to reshape Britain's EU ties if re-elected next year before giving voters an EU membership referendum, something opinion polls show could be a close contest.
Cameron, the leader of the Conservative party, is carrying out what is expected to be a final reshuffle of top government jobs before a national election next May and is likely to announce a raft of new appointments on Tuesday.
Hague had been expected to stand down as a member of parliament at the next election anyway. But he had been expected to continue as Britain's top diplomat until then and his resignation came as a surprise.
Cameron may also announce on Tuesday his preferred candidate for Britain's next European Commissioner amid signs he may nominate a woman from Britain's upper house of parliament for the important role.
