Following Guido’s scoop last night that Lord Mark McInnes has been made CEO of the Conservative Party, more changes are expected in the CCHQ lineup in the coming days and weeks as Kemi looks to boost her top team. Guido is told more bigwigs and heavyweights are lined up to join Badenoch’s praetorian guard…
There is strong speculation this morning that Badenoch could make further changes as she seeks to reset the party’s campaigning HQ. Rachel Maclean remains Strategy Director, but running the operational programme of CCHQ is now in McInnes’s in tray. Some sources say Kemi may also engage in a very limited shakeup of her frontbench team – previously there had been a moratorium on any shadow reshuffle until the general election – albeit perhaps only by bringing in old hands in the direction of CCHQ. Francis Maude’s name is being raised, alongside other grandees…
There is said to be a realisation inside Kemi’s top team that progress is not being made fast enough and that the leader herself “has come to the conclusion that she needs the right team in place.” Though any new appointments could imply a change of political direction. More on that later. Guido will bring you more first as it happens…
Sarah Pochin at Reform Scotland’s manifesto launch event: “I really wanted to come on in a Reform tartan burka, but apparently I wasn’t allowed… One day let’s do one of these events not live-streamed. We’ll do all the naughty stuff…”