Will this reshuffled Cabinet also mean a repurposed Government?

Reshuffles reveal politics in the raw. The theatre is an integral part of the process by which prime ministers remind their colleagues who’s boss. But reshuffles serve a number of other purposes, too. They are supposed to reward success, dispense with failure and thereby refresh the Government. At the same time as this Darwinian struggle for survival, however, the composition of the Cabinet tells us about its direction of travel. Who’s in and who’s out exposes what matters and what doesn’t. Finally, a botched reshuffle implies weakness on the part of the butcher.

Boris Johnson’s reshuffles have thus far been well-executed, even though this week’s is the first that was properly planned. The others took place by accident rather than design, prompted by the voluntary resignation of Sajid Javid as Chancellor in February 2020 and the forced departure of Matt Hancock last June. Both these reshuffles were strictly limited — the installation of Rishi Sunak as Chancellor and the return of Javid as Health Secretary— and both achieved their object of minimising disruption.

Wednesday’s reshuffle, by contrast, was a major reconstruction of the Government. Four Cabinet ministers were sacked outright, one was demoted and at least four were promoted. This was the moment when the Johnson administration cleared the decks for the post-pandemic era and prepared to carry out the tasks for which it was elected.

The losers were: Gavin Williamson, Robert Jenrick, Robert Buckland and Dominic Raab. The first three have returned to the back benches and, despite their protestations of loyalty, the brutal manner of their exit may store up trouble for the PM in future. In the case of Raab, his demotion from the Foreign Office to the Justice Department was somewhat assuaged by the additional role of Deputy Prime Minister. The fact that Raab now rejoices in three titles (he is also the Lord Chancellor) cannot disguise the fact of his descent in the pecking order. All four of these disappointed men are younger than Boris Johnson and will probably sit behind him for the duration of his career. In future, the PM will have to watch his back.

Now for the winners: Liz Truss, Michael Gove, Nadhim Zahawi and Anne-Marie Trevelyan. The new Foreign Secretary is the first female Conservative ever to hold that post. Together with Priti Patel — whose survival as Home Secretary had been in doubt — and four other women in Cabinet, Truss will ensure that this Government will not degenerate into an old boys’ club. Just over a quarter of the Cabinet are now women: fewer than under Tony Blair, but more than any previous Tory ministry except Theresa May’s.

More importantly, Truss will bring a welcome energy, acute intelligence and admirable communication skills to the job of representing Britain abroad. After a bumpy ride as Justice Secretary, she has shone at the Department of International Trade, tops the popularity polls in the Conservative Party and now looks like a credible contender to succeed Boris. She has many of the virtues of May but none of her vices: unlike the former Prime Minister, who often came across as a robotic loner, the new Foreign Secretary is a “people person” with a warmth, ease and sense of humour to which the public will surely respond.

Michael Gove is a splendid choice as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. Not only is he the best orator and the subtlest intellect in this Cabinet — he is the last of the Mohicans who has served continuously since 2010. That breadth of experience should serve him well in the two daunting tasks that the PM has assigned to him, in addition to the usual departmental duties: delivering the “levelling-up” agenda and defending the Union. Gove may not be the most popular member of the Government, but he is probably the most respected — and by friends and foes alike. If anyone can make good the aspiration to rebalance the prosperity and protect the integrity of the United Kingdom, it is the Gover. He is much more than a safe pair of hands, however: he is a strategic thinker who is capable of transforming the political terms of trade and turning the tables on the Opposition. He will need solid support from Downing Street, though, if he is to see off two formidable adversaries — Nicola Sturgeon in Edinburgh and Andy Burnham in Manchester — while simultaneously mollifying southern Tories who were spooked by his predecessor’s promise to drive a coach and horses through planning law.

Nadhim Zahawi has been a rising star for some years, but his breakthrough came with his stewardship of the vaccine programme. His business acumen and sure-footed performances on television helped to persuade the public to trust the policy that was initially seen as a gamble but which has proved so successful. At Education he will have the task of restoring the confidence of parents while overcoming resistance in the teaching profession. Zahawi will doubtless try to kill criticism with kindness, but he will bulldoze opposition if necessary. The country’s schools and universities have never been in such a state of chaos and confusion before, so he will have his work cut out. The new Education Secretary could do worse than return to Gove’s focus on driving up standards during his tenure in 2010-14; like him, Zahawi will also need to face down the rampant wokery and bureaucracy of “the Blob”.

Is this Cabinet now fit for purpose? Only if there is absolute clarity about what that purpose is. Boris Johnson is said to hate wielding the butcher’s knife, but while he much prefers to promote new blood, he has now shown that he is not afraid to shed as much of the stuff as necessary. The charge that he has deliberately presided over a Cabinet of lightweights was always unfair, but it has even less justification now. The next step is to set out clearly the goals by which the new lineup of ministers can be judged. In a fortnight, Conservatives will have their chance to pass judgement at the first proper party conference for two years. The nation will be watching the leader’s speech closely, to see whether the Prime Minister really does know what — and where — he is doing. Boris has the tools: let him finish the job.

A Message from TheArticle

We are the only publication that’s committed to covering every angle. We have an important contribution to make, one that’s needed now more than ever, and we need your help to continue publishing throughout the pandemic. So please, make a donation.