Pollsters will be looking forward to working out what people make of Rishi’s reshuffle. In the meantime, YouGov polled Brits on a potential Cameron return as Foreign Secretary back in 2018 when hacks brought up the potential move. 53% opposed the move, 39% were strongly opposed. 22% thought it would be a good idea. Probably no sea change since then…
This year 47% of people said Cameron was a bad PM compared to 22% who thought he was good. When asked in October, 36% said Sunak is worse than Cameron was – 16% said he’s been better. We will have to wait to see whether this shifts Labour’s 21-point lead…
David Cameron’s shock re-entry to government after seven years on the bench sent SW1 into a frenzy this morning. Downing Street masterminds think this is a headline catching measure that will project an aura of experience during the current Middle East crisis – and demonstrate that (even though the government is chronically behind in the polls), it can still attract an old hand to come back. The problem for Sunak is it also sends a very distinct political message to the right of the party, who are now plotting their fightback…
But Cameron’s return is not a surprise to those who understand who really calls the shots in Downing Street. A clique of Cameronite SpAds are in the major adviser positions, Oliver Dowden is Deputy Prime Minister, and the external influence of figures associated with the Tory centre, such as William Hague, Danny Finkelstein and George Osborne, is well known. These are the voices Sunak clearly listens to. The Brexit right always suspected Sunak is just a proxy for a Cameronite remain project, now it’s publicly confirmed…
While he was out of office, Cameron enlisted himself to canvass foreign investment in a controversial Sri Lankan project, a major part of Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative. The lobby are now beavering away on his extracurricular activities; Labour will be doing the same. The investigation into the Greensill scandal revealed Cameron sent messages to Sunak’s private phone in 2020. In the published messages, Sunak obediently replied to Cameron:
“I think the proposals in the end did require a change to the Market Notice but I have pushed the team to explore an alternative with the Bank that might work. No guarantees, but the Bank are currently looking at it.”
The pair recently publicly clashed over HS2, with Cameron saying of the government just weeks ago:
‘Today’s announcement throws away fifteen years of cross-party consensus, sustained over six administrations, and will make it much harder to build consensus for any future long-term projects… I regret this decision and in years to come I suspect many will look back at today’s announcement and wonder how this once-in-a-generation opportunity was lost.’
This move is not without substantial risks for Sunak. No doubt he has thought it through…
The Former PM David Cameron is back, with Rishi appointing him as Foreign Secretary in a shock move that will provide much controversy amongst Tory MPs. He’ll have to be made a Lord first, as he’s no longer an MP. Cameron had to resign after losing his campaign to stay in the EU, and was recently caught up in the biggest lobbying scandal in Britain for decades when the FT revealed that he had secretly lobbied former colleagues in government on behalf of his employer, Greensill Capital. Revenge for the Remainers…
Read Cameron’s statement below:
Morning. Rishi’s big reshuffle has started – as always, Guido will bring you the latest updates. Stay tuned…
16:00 – Lord Gascoigne appointed whip.
16:00 – Lord Davies of Gower appointed transport minister.
16:00 – Baroness Penn appointed levelling up minister.
16:00 – Baroness Vere appointed treasury PPS.
16:00 – Lord Benyon appointed jointly foreign office and DEFRA minister.
15:00 – Earl of Minto appointed defence minister.
10:41 – Stuart Anderson appointed Vice Chamberlain of HM Household (Government Whip).
10:41 – Dame Amanda Milling appointed Government Whip.
10:41 – Joy Morrissey appointed Government Whip.
10:41 – Mike Wood appointed Government Whip.
10:41 – Aaron Bell appointed Assistant Government Whip.
10:41 – Mark Fletcher appointed Assistant Government Whip.
10:41 – Mark Jenkinson appointed Assistant Government Whip.
10:41 – Suzanne Webb appointed Assistant Government Whip.
10:03 – Greg Hands appointed Minister for London.
10:00 – Julie Marson resigns as whip.
TUESDAY
22:30 – Andrew Stephenson appointed health minister.
22:30 – Nigel Huddleston appointed Financial Secretary to the Treasury.
22:30 – Damian Hinds appointed schools minister.
22:30 – Jo Churchill appointed employment minister.
22:30 – Bim Afolami appointed Economic Secretary to the Treasury.
22:30 – Gareth Bacon appointed justie minister.
22:30 – Saqib Bhatti appointed science minister.
22:30 – Anthony Browne appointed transport minister.
22:30 – Laura Farris appointed jointly Home Office and justice minister.
22:30 – Simon Hoare appointed levelling up minister. Northern Ireland Affairs Committee will need a new chairman…
22:30 – Fay Jones appointed Wales Office minister.
22:30 – Paul Maynard appointed DWP minister.
22:30 – Robbie Moore appointed DEFRA minister.
22:30 – Guy Opperman appointed transport minister.
22:30 – Andrea Leadsom appointed appointed health minister.
22:25 – Sarah Dines sacked as safeguarding minister.
21:04 – Andrew Griffith appointed science minister.
20:30 – Paul Scully sacked as Minister for London and science minister.
19:34 – Steve Double resigns as whip.
17:21 – Esther McVey appointed Minister of State at Cabinet Office.
17:03 – Esther McVey enters Number 10.
16:23 – Lee Rowley appointed Housing Minister. The 16th Housing Minister since 2010…
15:18 – Greg Hands demoted to Minister of State in the Department for Business and Trade.
15:18 – John Glen appointed Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office.
15:17 – Local Government minister Lee Rowley enters Number 10.
14:34 – Laura Trott appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
14:30 – Science Minister George Freeman resigns.
14:23 – Victoria Atkins appointed Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.
14:15 – Richard Holden appointed new Party Chairman.
14:00 – Steve Barclay appointed Secretary of State for Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs.
13:13 – Pensions minister Laura Trott enters Number 10.
13:07 – Jeremy Quin stands down as Paymaster General and Cabinet Office minister.
13:03 – Financial Secretary to the Treasury Victoria Atkins enters Number 10.
12:51 – Transport minister Richard Holden enters Number 10.
12:46 – Thérèse Coffey sacked as environment secretary.
12:39 – Steve Barclay enters Number 10.
12:32 – Rachel Maclean sacked as Housing Minister.
10:59 – Jesse Norman quits as transport minister.
10:39 – Health minister Will Quince resigns. Quince announced he wouldn’t stand at the next election in June…
10:23 – Cleverly says “My job is to keep the country safe“.
10:04 – Number 10 confirms Hunt staying on as Chancellor.
10:02 – Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey enters Number 10.
09:47 – David Cameron appointed Foreign Secretary.
09:32 – FCDO permanent secretary Sir Philip Barton enters Number 10.
09:12 – Braverman issues statement: “It has been the greatest privilege of my life to serve as Home Secretary. I will have more to say in due course”.
08:56 – Nick Gibb resigns as schools minister. Has also said he will not stand at the next general election…
08:56 – David Cameron enters Number 10.
08:55 – Cleverly is appointed Home Secretary.
08:50 – Neil O’Brien quits as health minister.
08:40 – James Cleverly enters Number 1o.
08:38 – Suella Braverman is sacked.
MONDAY
Rishi’s long-awaited reshuffle – likely the last before going to the polls – is now widely rumoured in SW1 to take place just before the state opening of Parliament on 7th November. That’s just over two weeks away. His last much trumpeted reshuffle ended up being minor – with conference now in the rear view mirror, the clock is ticking…
Whether it will make the slightest bit of difference is another question. Last week’s by-election shockers have provoked some Tories to demand a bold reshuffle to prove he’s the “change” candidate he claimed to be in his conference speech. Starmer already has his election team in place. Let the reshuffle briefing begin. Co-conspirators know where we are…
Rishi has appointed Jacob Young as Under Secretary of State in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, wasting no time replacing Dehenna Davison, who resigned earlier today. Gagan Mohindra has also been appointed Assistant Government Whip. Not quite the blockbuster ri-shuffle everyone is hoping for, although it’s heavily rumoured more movements are expected just after conference…
