CCHQ staffers arriving at Matthew Parker Street this morning were greeted with warm brownies – including a gluten-free option – and the promise of a new coffee machine, as Nadhim Zahawi launched an attempt to regenerate morale after months of chaos, long hours and cutbacks.
An email to staff this morning outlined some of the immediate office changes they’d find as they arrive for work, including the removal of stuffy blue dividers between desks and the abolition of closed blinds. There was previously a policy that you couldn’t open the blinds, leading to complaints of having to take vitamin D supplements…
Office plants are making a comeback, after CCHQ outsourced the watering of the plants and then cancelled the contract to save money. There’s also a new bookshelf next to Zahawi’s room that will shortly be a new office library, soon to be filled up with help from think tanks and others. Withdrawals will be based on an honesty system…
The announcement from Zahawi’s two SpAds – both called James and thus nicknamed The James Hydra – excitingly promises that the procuring of the new proper coffee machine is almost complete.
With Levido now formally back inside the tent, things at CCHQ – if not the Tories’ polling numbers – are finally looking up…
Political obsessives will have been looking forward to the Policy Exchange/Conservative Home webinar yesterday afternoon entitled “One Nation Conservatism: what does it look like after COVID-19?”. A rare appearance by the deliberately low profile Isaac Levido – whose name is currently being floated as the possible next No. 10 Chief of Staff – was top billing. The respected political strategist set tongues wagging by pulling out of the online event with no explanation proffered to those logged on to see him. It was a virtual event, so Guido’s guess is that he just didn’t fancy risking being cross-examined about recent events in Downing Street. Even if there were overtures from Boris regarding the Chief of Staff appointment, Isaac would be reluctant to walk away from his new start-up firm…
The exponential rise in reporting on SpAds has finally culminated in a shake-up of recruitment ordered by No. 10, including the launch of spadjobs.uk, both to increase transparency in the recruitment process, and to encourage more corporate and professional appointments. Guido’s not sure Downing Street will attract corporate professionals with current SpAd pay grades…
It’s also been announced that all new appointments will be screened and vetted by the Conservative Party with the help of Hanbury Strategy (the consultancy co-founded by Vote Leave’s Paul Stephenson), before having a phone interview and an interview panel with Isaac Levido. Lee Cain will then have the final say. Guido spots the site was registered by the Tories on the 17th February – the day Andrew Sabisky resigned…
