Truss appoints Sunak ally to Cabinet in bid to restore Tory unity

PM hands government job to MP who backed rival Rishi Sunak in Conservative leadership race

Liz Truss has sent a signal of her intent to bridge the divides blighting the Tory party as she prepares to make a plea for unity to colleagues filing back into Westminster.

The prime minister handed a government job to Greg Hands, who backed her rival Rishi Sunak in the Conservative leadership race, in a move that will be widely seen as a peace offering to critics who have accused Ms Truss of surrounding herself with allies.

The seasoned minister replaces Conor Burns, who was sacked from his post in the Department for International Trade (DIT) on Friday following a misconduct complaint.