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| May’s reshuffle is far from the radical refresh that had been trailed | May’s reshuffle is far from the radical refresh that had been trailed |
| (25 days later) | |
| By the end of Monday, Theresa May must have felt like all the other hapless British workers who returned to the office for the new year with a spring in their step and the best of intentions, only to find the fearless resolutions they made over the Christmas break crumbling in the face of reality. | By the end of Monday, Theresa May must have felt like all the other hapless British workers who returned to the office for the new year with a spring in their step and the best of intentions, only to find the fearless resolutions they made over the Christmas break crumbling in the face of reality. |
| The prime minister had three main aims in her much-trailed new year reshuffle. She hoped to showcase a fresh generation of Tory talent; shake up the party election-fighting machinery that misfired so badly last year; and show her determination to get to grips with domestic challenges that have been all but overshadowed by Brexit for the past 12 months. | The prime minister had three main aims in her much-trailed new year reshuffle. She hoped to showcase a fresh generation of Tory talent; shake up the party election-fighting machinery that misfired so badly last year; and show her determination to get to grips with domestic challenges that have been all but overshadowed by Brexit for the past 12 months. |
| It didn’t start well. The Conservatives’ official media account tweeted its congratulations to Brexiter Chris Grayling as the Tory party’s new chair – but staff rapidly had to backtrack and delete the message. | It didn’t start well. The Conservatives’ official media account tweeted its congratulations to Brexiter Chris Grayling as the Tory party’s new chair – but staff rapidly had to backtrack and delete the message. |
| It was some time before Brandon Lewis, the ebullient immigration minister, was formally given the post, as deadlines were missed and progress slipped. | It was some time before Brandon Lewis, the ebullient immigration minister, was formally given the post, as deadlines were missed and progress slipped. |
| A series of junior ministers were swept aside into Conservative HQ as “vice chairs”, opening up space for fresh blood when the job moves are completed on Tuesday; and new-intake backbenchers, including the young MP for Mansfield Ben Bradley, were also given campaigning roles. | A series of junior ministers were swept aside into Conservative HQ as “vice chairs”, opening up space for fresh blood when the job moves are completed on Tuesday; and new-intake backbenchers, including the young MP for Mansfield Ben Bradley, were also given campaigning roles. |
| Only time will tell whether the new appointments at CCHQ, including that of the highly regarded Braintree MP James Cleverly as deputy chair, can succeed in reinvigorating the Tories’ campaigning zeal. | Only time will tell whether the new appointments at CCHQ, including that of the highly regarded Braintree MP James Cleverly as deputy chair, can succeed in reinvigorating the Tories’ campaigning zeal. |
| As the new team gathered outside No 10 for a photo call – albeit a bit late – it at least demonstrated May’s determination to put remaking her party on a par with tweaking the personnel in her cabinet on the first day of the new parliamentary term. And some of the new lineup, including Bradley, and Saffron Walden MP Kemi Badenoch, presented a younger, fresher face to the world. | As the new team gathered outside No 10 for a photo call – albeit a bit late – it at least demonstrated May’s determination to put remaking her party on a par with tweaking the personnel in her cabinet on the first day of the new parliamentary term. And some of the new lineup, including Bradley, and Saffron Walden MP Kemi Badenoch, presented a younger, fresher face to the world. |
| But that was as good as it got for the prime minister. As the hours dragged on, it became increasingly clear her day was not going to plan. | But that was as good as it got for the prime minister. As the hours dragged on, it became increasingly clear her day was not going to plan. |
| The health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, whom May had planned to move to the business department to replace Greg Clark, instead talked the prime minister out of it. He emerged from Downing Street after a prolonged meeting with his job enhanced, taking on responsibility for reforming social care as well as overseeing the NHS. | The health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, whom May had planned to move to the business department to replace Greg Clark, instead talked the prime minister out of it. He emerged from Downing Street after a prolonged meeting with his job enhanced, taking on responsibility for reforming social care as well as overseeing the NHS. |
| Clark was later reconfirmed as business secretary, despite widespread speculation at Westminster in recent days that he faced the chop. | Clark was later reconfirmed as business secretary, despite widespread speculation at Westminster in recent days that he faced the chop. |
| Justine Greening, the state-schooled education secretary who was the target of a blizzard of negative briefing in recent days about her closeness to the teaching unions and outspokenness in cabinet, was also inside No 10 for well over an hour as May apparently sought to move her. | Justine Greening, the state-schooled education secretary who was the target of a blizzard of negative briefing in recent days about her closeness to the teaching unions and outspokenness in cabinet, was also inside No 10 for well over an hour as May apparently sought to move her. |
| When she finally emerged, it was to confirmation that she had quit the government after refusing May’s suggested move to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). | When she finally emerged, it was to confirmation that she had quit the government after refusing May’s suggested move to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). |
| All of this was a reminder of the prime minister’s fragile authority over her fractious parliamentary party. And it couldn’t have been more different from the brutal reshuffle of July 2016 that saw her dispatch heavyweights including George Osborne and Nicky Morgan to the backbenches. | All of this was a reminder of the prime minister’s fragile authority over her fractious parliamentary party. And it couldn’t have been more different from the brutal reshuffle of July 2016 that saw her dispatch heavyweights including George Osborne and Nicky Morgan to the backbenches. |
| Worse than that, alongside the prime minister’s willingness to move the health, education and business secretaries, a flurry of tweaks to other cabinet posts – shifting David Lidington from justice to replace Green; moving David Gauke in turn from DWP, where he had been for just seven months, into justice – suggested far from prioritising complex domestic reforms, such as the rollout of universal credit, May was unwilling to let anyone stay in post long enough to complete the tough task she had allotted them. | Worse than that, alongside the prime minister’s willingness to move the health, education and business secretaries, a flurry of tweaks to other cabinet posts – shifting David Lidington from justice to replace Green; moving David Gauke in turn from DWP, where he had been for just seven months, into justice – suggested far from prioritising complex domestic reforms, such as the rollout of universal credit, May was unwilling to let anyone stay in post long enough to complete the tough task she had allotted them. |
| She has already had three secretaries of state for work and pensions, and as many justice secretaries, since she became premier in 2016. Adding “housing” to Sajid Javid’s job title, when he already had powers over the policy area, appeared to be more about optics than practicalities. | She has already had three secretaries of state for work and pensions, and as many justice secretaries, since she became premier in 2016. Adding “housing” to Sajid Javid’s job title, when he already had powers over the policy area, appeared to be more about optics than practicalities. |
| Meanwhile, the glacial pace of the comings and goings in Downing Street as the day unfolded meant Labour was able to exploit the government’s discomfort by summoning a junior health minister, Philip Dunne, to the House of Commons to explain the winter crisis – which he did by pointing out that while beds may be in short supply in A&E, patients can always “sit on seats”. | Meanwhile, the glacial pace of the comings and goings in Downing Street as the day unfolded meant Labour was able to exploit the government’s discomfort by summoning a junior health minister, Philip Dunne, to the House of Commons to explain the winter crisis – which he did by pointing out that while beds may be in short supply in A&E, patients can always “sit on seats”. |
| The shadow health secretary, Jon Ashworth, said: “The secretary of state for health should be here … not pleading for a promotion in Downing Street.” | The shadow health secretary, Jon Ashworth, said: “The secretary of state for health should be here … not pleading for a promotion in Downing Street.” |
| Dunne was quickly followed by the universities minister, Jo Johnson, who had the job of maintaining the image of a compassionate, modern Tory party, while defending the controversial appointment of contrarian journalist Toby Young to the Office for Students in the face of an onslaught from outraged Labour MPs. | Dunne was quickly followed by the universities minister, Jo Johnson, who had the job of maintaining the image of a compassionate, modern Tory party, while defending the controversial appointment of contrarian journalist Toby Young to the Office for Students in the face of an onslaught from outraged Labour MPs. |
| As she contemplated the year ahead over the Christmas break, May had some reason to hope it would be a significant improvement on a mishap-strewn 2017. With the Brexit negotiations now safely into their second phase, her position appeared stronger than in the aftermath of the general election. | As she contemplated the year ahead over the Christmas break, May had some reason to hope it would be a significant improvement on a mishap-strewn 2017. With the Brexit negotiations now safely into their second phase, her position appeared stronger than in the aftermath of the general election. |
| Back then, Downing Street appeared paralysed by indecision, as a series of high-profile advisers departed. Instead of the wholesale cabinet clearout she had planned if she had increased her majority – chucking out the chancellor, Philip Hammond, among others – she just brought her old friend Green closer to her side as first secretary, and gave Michael Gove the environment job. | Back then, Downing Street appeared paralysed by indecision, as a series of high-profile advisers departed. Instead of the wholesale cabinet clearout she had planned if she had increased her majority – chucking out the chancellor, Philip Hammond, among others – she just brought her old friend Green closer to her side as first secretary, and gave Michael Gove the environment job. |
| Seven months on, there should be fewer questions about the prime minister’s short-term survival, not least because few potential rivals fancy months spearheading debilitating negotiations with Brussels. | Seven months on, there should be fewer questions about the prime minister’s short-term survival, not least because few potential rivals fancy months spearheading debilitating negotiations with Brussels. |
| But Monday’s comings and goings were far from the radical refresh that had been trailed. And they underlined the fact that it’s not just Michel Barnier in Brussels the prime minister is forced to negotiate with: it’s the big beasts in her own party too. | But Monday’s comings and goings were far from the radical refresh that had been trailed. And they underlined the fact that it’s not just Michel Barnier in Brussels the prime minister is forced to negotiate with: it’s the big beasts in her own party too. |
| If her first long day back in Westminster is anything to go by, this year could be every bit as challenging for Theresa May as 2017. | If her first long day back in Westminster is anything to go by, this year could be every bit as challenging for Theresa May as 2017. |