ANALYSIS The challenges awaiting the ministers moved in the reshuffle
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What does Theresa May's (very limited) reshuffle tell us about the ministers moving jobs?
Theresa May’s post-election reshuffle has not, it would be fair to say, captured the public imagination. With the posts now finalised, there is one “new” full member of the Cabinet – who had been a secretary of state for six years before an 11-month stint on the backbenches. Stable indeed.
While the bulk of May’s top team are in the same jobs as before the election, the moves that have happened are far from insignificant. Here is a rundown:
Damian Green (Work and Pensions Secretary to Cabinet Office minister and First Secretary of State)
One of the ideas floated for how May could rebuild the shattered faith of the Conservative parliamentary party was to appoint a deputy prime minister. She has not done so, but revived the position of First Secretary of State, which makes clear that Green is her second-in-command in the Cabinet. Green, who served as policing minister under May in the Home Office and was brought into the Cabinet by her last year, is one of her most trusted lieutenants and was a consistent presence throughout the election campaign. He was also a very vocal advocate of Remain, and his promotion will give hope to the elements of the party who want to use the election result to rethink the Government’s plans for Brexit. Apart from anything else, he is considered quite a “good egg” by people across the political spectrum and so could be a good ambassador to buy the PM some much needed goodwill.
He also takes on the Cabinet Office responsibilities which Ben Gummer was forced to abandon after losing his seat. With the civil service still gearing up for the Brexit negotiations and then the additional post-EU responsibilities, that job poses a number of imposing challenges in itself.
MICHAEL GOVE (Backbencher to Environment Secretary)
The most eye-catching of all the appointments – and the only “new” face in the Cabinet picture – was Michael Gove’s return. When May sacked Gove as Justice Secretary last July after he brutally torpedoed Boris Johnson’s leadership bid (not that the Foreign Secretary is holding a grudge, tweeting out a message of friendship) and his own subsequent run failed, she told him to go back to the backbenches and learn loyalty. And that is what he did, seemingly (he was on the airwaves putting across the Conservative message frequently during the election campaign) – though he himself admitted being “quite surprised” to get the call from May today.
He obviously brings with him a lot of currency with the eurosceptic wing of the Conservatives and he will have plenty of EU-related fun in store in his new brief, with agricultural subsidies and the importance of low-skilled EU migrants to farmers among the issues he will be dealing with.
ANDREA LEADSOM (Environment Secretary to the Leader of the Commons)
This is a difficult one to interpret. On the face of it, Leadsom has gone from full Cabinet to attending status so it’s a demotion. BUT there is an argument that the role of Leader of the Commons has never been more important – or more difficult – than now, so this could just as easily be seen as a big vote of confidence.
It is a post usually reserved for somebody who is quick on their feet at the despatch box and reasonably popular across the different parties in the Commons (and this is not to say that Leadsom is not one or both of those things). But given the make-up of the Commons after last week’s election, Leadsom will – with reappointed Chief Whip Gavin Williamson – have to find a way to get through the Government’s legislative agenda with a minority of MPs and the support of ten DUP parliamentarians. She will also make weekly appearances in the Commons fielding questions about anything and everything (hence, the Business Statement is sometimes referred to as mini-PMQs).
Leadsom was brought into the Cabinet by May last summer after their leadership contest to project Conservative unity. And Leadsom has scarcely been heard from since. So, why did May take her invisible minister and put her in a more exposed setting? The obvious explanation would be that she wanted her away from a job with a policy portfolio but could not withstand the political damage of sacking her. Or maybe she is more trusted than we thought – after all, it was only a year ago that she was considered one of the stars of the Vote Leave campaign.
LIZ TRUSS (Justice Secretary to Chief Secretary to the Treasury)
If Leadsom’s move was a bit of a surprise, Liz Truss leaving the Ministry of Justice most certainly was not. Her appointment was met by immediate scepticism from the industry (and many wondered aloud what it was about the first female Lord Chancellor that upset the male-dominated profession so much more than other non-lawyer holders of the post). That scepticism turned into hostility before too long. Her failure to stand up immediately for the judges being targeted by elements of the press and politicians was criticised, and culminated with the most senior judge in England saying publicly Truss was “completely and utterly wrong” and betrayed a “failure to understand”.
While it has been a tough spell for Truss and her reputation has fallen after being tipped for a supersonic rise at the start of her parliamentary career, Chief Secretary to the Treasury is quite the consolation prize.
DAVID LIDINGTON (Leader of the Commons to Justice Secretary)
Truss’ replacement at the Ministry of Justice is David Lidington. He is the fourth successive Lord Chancellor not to be a lawyer, which used to be considered a prerequisite for the job. He was a bit more muscular than Truss in the aftermath of the Article 50 case furore, slapping down pretty bluntly a suggestion that parliament should have a greater oversight role of judicial appointments. That should buy him some goodwill with the judges but there is a lot else in his in-tray.
May’s last-minute announcement in the campaign that human rights legislation could be changed in order to allow the imposition of tougher anti-terror laws means that the quagmirical British Bill of Rights saga – which had been parked for the duration of the Brexit negotiations – could rear its head again. Add to that the fact Britain’s prisons are a complete and utter state, with suicides and assaults soaring, the justice brief might be towards the front of the Government’s agenda.
DAVID GAUKE (Chief Secretary to the Treasury to Work and Pensions Secretary)
“Uncork the Gauke” was George Osborne’s favourite tactic for when he didn’t fancy coming to the Commons or airwaves to defend the Government’s economic policy. After years of loyal service and rising through the ranks in the Treasury, Gauke has now been given the DWP brief. And it’s not going to be an easy ride. The benefits cuts due to come into force in the next few years are quite eye-watering and will be exacerbated by higher inflation caused by Brexit. Add to that projections of higher unemployment and Gauke may need to draw on all his fire-fighting experiences.
