LONDON -- Pension Minister Penny Mordaunt has been appointed as the new International Development Secretary following the resignation of Priti Patel, local media reported Thursday.

The work and pensions minister, 44, was a prominent Brexit supporter during the EU referendum campaign.

Local media reported she had a meeting with Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday afternoon at Downing Street and then left for her new department.

Patel quit on Wednesday, admitting unauthorised meetings with Israeli officials had "lacked transparency".

Her resignation was the second major blow within days for May following the resignation of defense secretary Michael Fallon in the so-called "sex pest" scandal currently engulfing British politics.