If Sir Keir thought axing Sue Gray would grease the wheels of government, he might want to think again. No 10 insiders are already grumbling that no amount of reshuffling can fix the “systemic issues” bogging down the machinery of state, with Sue now painted as the “scapegoat” for Downing Street’s chronic inefficiency. The brief spin that Gray’s departure would magically bring about the “right structures to deliver change for the country” has already gone up in smoke…

One example of such effectiveness is the Cabinet Office. The department’s LinkedIn page proudly announces they’ve had a “very busy month” in September. Their idea of busy being just three achievements: the announcement of Queen Elizabeth’s memorial site, the introduction of the hereditary peers bill, and the formation of one committee. Not exactly a revolution in governance, though apparently enough to warrant self-congratulation…

One civil service expert said:

“This is a sort of thing most ministers would’ve managed in the first hour of a morning in previous administrations. Particular given that there are seven ministers pictured in the shot who collectively appeared to delivered three pieces of administrative work, which would’ve been the responsibility of civil servants anyway.”

So much for “change begins”….