Former foreign minister Jeremy Hunt has been appointed Britain's finance minister, Prime Minister Liz Truss's office said on Friday, following Kwasi Kwarteng's resignation from the post after less than six weeks in the job.

A former foreign minister, Hunt has twice been unsuccessful in running for the governing Conservative Party's leadership, once losing to Boris Johnson and then being knocked out in the first round of voting in a contest which saw Truss take the prize.

Seen as on the centre-right of the party, Hunt endorsed Truss's leadership rival, former finance minister Rishi Sunak to become prime minister, and is seen by many in the party as a safe pair of hands.

Hunt, who has also previously served as health minister and culture minister, becomes Britain's fourth finance minister in as many months. Truss's office also said Edward Argar had replaced Chris Philp as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the second most important job in the department.