RESHUFFLE SPECIAL 7TH October 2013
DECKCHAIRS MOVED… WILL VOTERS NOTICE?
Dominic Pendry
Director, Edelman Public Affairs A Government re-shuffle originally caricatured as good for ‘northern men and southern women’ has been a little more nuanced in practice. Certainly the Government will now be more representative of the country writ-large, with Esther McVey, Nicky Morgan, and Shailesh Vara and Helen Grant taking new or expanded roles to increase the gender and ethnic balance of Government. Importantly, all are being given the sort of meaty ministerial experience that will enhance their chances of future Cabinet roles. Perhaps a more compelling feature of those graced with promotion has been their political proximity to the Chancellor. Osborne’s influence is borne out in the enhanced role of Sajid Director, Edelman Public Affairs Javid, who takes the reins as Financial Services Minister. Former protégés Greg Hands and Matthew Hancock both receive promotions into key roles as Deputy Chief Whip and Minister of State for Enterprise respectively.
Sarah Richardson
The Liberal Democrats have rather fewer cards to shuffle, but have made a number of significant changes to refresh their front-bench team. Alastair Carmichael, the popular and combative former Chief Whip, becomes Scottish Secretary in what promises to be an intriguing year ahead of the Scottish Independence vote. Don Foster’s promotion comes on the back of many years’ service on the front bench in both Coalition and Opposition. And Norman Baker, famed for his conspiracy theories about the late David Kelly, makes an eyecatching move into the Home Office.
carried out far-ranging changes to both his Shadow Cabinet and the rest of the front bench. LabourList was quick to tweet that the changes mean Labour’s Shadow Cabinet is now 44% female. The most significant change was Rachel Reeves’s promotion to Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary. Mary Creagh’s move from Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is also noteworthy as it could signal a shift in Labour’s position on HS2, whilst similar rumours abound over Labour’s position on Trident following Jim Murphy’s removal as Shadow Defence Secretary. Of course for every winner there must be a loser. On the Government benches, it has been a tough day for the quietly effective as Mark Hoban, Richard Benyon, and Michael Moore all leave Government, a sign that solid delivery in office is not enough. For the opposition, Miliband’s reshuffle suggests he has lost patience or confidence in a number of former-Blairite Ministers to deliver his agenda in Opposition. So what does this all mean? Outside the Westminster village, it’s questionable how much care or attention will be paid to these changes given none of the top jobs (or personalities) were involved. And to some extent the public would be right. Whilst it has been an important day in terms of party management, there is little to suggest the direction of travel or message for any of the parties has shifted. But we do have a better idea who the parties will line up as their chief messengers in the 2015 election.
On the Opposition benches, Labour has just announced a substantial re-shuffle of its own top team. Miliband has
GOVERNMENT MOVES APPOINTMENTS Norman Baker: Minister of State at the Home Office Matthew Hancock: Minister of State for Skills & Enterprise jointly at the Department for Education and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Sajid Javid: Financial Secretary to the Treasury Esther McVey: Minister of State (Employment) at the Department for Works and Pensions Nicky Morgan: Economic Secretary to the Treasury George Eustice: Parliamentary Under Secretary at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Dan Rogerson: Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Shailesh Vara: Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice Helen Grant: Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport Greg Hands: Deputy Chief Whip Alistair Carmichael: Secretary of State for Scotland Don Foster: Liberal Democrat Chief Whip
TOP TWEETS
DEPARTURES Jeremy Browne: dismissed as Minister of State at the Home Office Richard Benyon: replaced as Fisheries Minister at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Mark Prisk: replaced as Housing Minister at the Department for Communities and Local Government Michael Moore: replaced as Secretary of State for Scotland Mark Hoban: replaced as Minister of State for Employment Reshuffle Edition 2013
OPPOSITION MOVES APPOINTMENTS Rachel Reeves: Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Tristram Hunt: Shadow Education Secretary Chris Leslie: Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Vernon Coaker: Shadow Defence Secretary Maria Eagle: Shadow Environment Secretary Mary Creagh: moved from Shadow Secretary for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to Shadow Transport Secretary Gloria De Piero: Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities Emma Reynolds: Shadow Housing Minister Ivan Lewis: Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Michael Dugher: Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Shadow Foreign Secretary Douglas Alexander has replaced Tom Watson as Labour’s 2015 General Election Co-ordinator
WE HEAR THAT…
DEPARTURES Jim Murphy: moved from Shadow Defence Secretary to Shadow International Development Secretary Liam Byrne: demoted from Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary; moved to Shadow Education Minister Stephen Twigg: demoted from Shadow Education Secretary to Constitutional Reform Minister Anne McGuire: resigned as Shadow Minister for Disabled People. Rob Flello: resigned as Shadow Justice Minister
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