Claire Coutinho : another Indian-origin in Sunak’s cabinet

Claire Coutinho has been appointed as the UK’s energy and net zero secretary. She is an Indian-origin conservative MP and has been given a new role in the UK cabinet.

This is Coutinho‘s first cabinet role. She is also the youngest member of Sunak’s cabinet. Her appointment comes after Grant Shapps was made the defense secretary. As Ben Wallace stepped down from the position of defense secretary.

She was elected as an MP in 2019 and Coutinho is the first MP of the 2019 Tory members to make it to the cabinet table. She is now one of the third Indian-origin cabinet ministers

Alongside the UK PM Sunak and Home Secretary Suella Braverman. Coutinho is of German Christian descent and she also has a family in Pune.

Just like Sunak, Coutinho worked in the field of finance before entering politics. Meanwhile, her predecessor Grant Shapps has been named as the new UK defense secretary. He replaced Ben Wallace who served in the role for four years.

This is the fifth job for Shapps in the cabinet in less than a year. In the conservative circle, Shapps is described as a versatile minister. Earlier, he served as energy security and net zero secretary. Before that for a brief period, he served as the home secretary. Earlier, he held the positions of transport secretary and conservative chair.