Beware the reshuffle bearing gifts
Not one, not two but three major line-up changes happened over Monday and Tuesday. Following the two Coalition parties’ lead, Labour leader Ed Miliband weighed in with his own adjustments to the opposition front bench, adjustments that have been interpreted by some as further evidence of a lurch to the left. However, the inconvenient truth for the relegated Liam Byrne and Stephen Twigg, the now-former shadow DWP and Education spokesmen, were that Labour have been losing the arguments on both and new blood was seen as necessary.
The clear winners on the government side of the House were those MPs who exemplify the Prime Minister’s drive to widen his party’s demographic appeal ahead of the 2015 general election. Mr Cameron is keen to bring some younger blood into his Government and – as the new ministerial recruits’ performance is assessed over the coming months – to identify those who might be suitable for a further promotion to the top table in a year’s time.
Loyal Conservatives from the 2010 intake (“rising stars” in media speak) such as Work & Pensions Minister Esther McVey and West Suffolk MP Matt Hancock were those promoted to more senior positions, whilst mid-level ministers Mark Prisk and Mark Hoban both found themselves demoted to the backbenches to make way for new talent. Both are viewed as perfectly capable ministers, however their demographic make-up – male, southern and middle-aged – perhaps doesn’t fit with the Prime Minister’s modernising agenda any longer.
The key promotion to watch for those in the financial services sector, though, is that of Treasury Minister and George Osborne-ally Sajid Javid. Promoted to Financial Secretary (FST), Mr Javid is seen widely as a reliable performer both departmentally and, importantly, in the media. Within HM Treasury, Mr Javid is equally well-respected, carrying something of a straight-talking bulldog reputation. However, the Bromsgrove MP might need to be wary as the role is not an obvious springboard to greater things, as his predecessors have found out. The two previous Financial Secretaries since 2010 – Hoban and Greg Clark – were both relegated to minor roles on Monday.