Cameron hints at a reshuffle

George Laird

Dear All

Cameron hints at reshuffle, so I assume that this means moving Osborne, Fox and Spelman out to lesser posts.

I would stick David Davis in as Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Alan Duncan as Party Chairman and Dominic Grieve as Minister for Justice.

I would also return Iain Duncan Smith back to the front bench in Work and Pensions.

Having taken the time to look at the Conservative Front bench (for the first time), some of them haven’t set the heather on fire.

I think you can characterise some of the team by use of one word.

Who??????

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Tory Lion

DD should definitely be invited back in - someone who stands up for principles will ring well with voters. Cameron will also be sure of at least one person who will say what they think as opposed to towing the party line - also a massive plus with the sceptical electorate.

Austin Barry

George, I think the one word is 'vapid'.

Tory Lion

George - do you think Alan Duncan has the clout to be Party Chairman? Surely Davis or IDS would suit that role better? I also believe that Cameron should persevere with Osborne - he has a lot more to offer.

Mrs Campbell

Presumably all those front benchers who are highly paid columnists will pay their fees into party funds on the grounds that the fees are high because of their front bench roles but media exposure is good for the party and the party also needs the money

George Laird

Dear Tory Lion

Does Alan Duncan have the clout to be Party Chairman?

Yes, absolutely and comes across well as a people person.

As to Davis and IDS, I can see people trusting Davis as Chancellor because he is prepared to fight to make people's lives better and stick his neck out.

IDS at Work and Pensions would be a good idea because he has got the start of a good idea to help lift the poor out of poverty, which the Tories are sadly lacking in Grayling.

Grayling comes across as a wee creep to Labour policy.

Osborne has had his chips, he is not making headway, he has been pigoened as the wee daft rich boy.

Osborne is going backwards, everyone knows it.

David Davis, Chancellor of the Exchequer will wipe the smug look off Brown's face.

Finally, as to those who are front bench shadow ministers, who are they and what do they stand for?

Do they even know?

One of the mysteries of the Westminister Village.

They need to talk up and often.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Dean

Cameron should move Osborne as he can't think outside the Thatcherite box and is a liability to Cameron's effort to move the Party back to the centre ground. He needs to bring in someone with more imaginative ideas about how to tackle the credit crisis and help those who are suffering from it (not just small businesses). It can't be Ken Clarke, as this would be a throwback to the past, and it shouldn't be David Davis as his general demeanour is too laid back and not suited to the times.

Craig Barrett

What characterised the Labour front bench from 1994 to 1997 was their unadulterated hunger for power.

The Tories currently lack that.

1. Having a Shadow Cabinet role means not having any other roles. There's no such thing as a part-time government, there should be no such thing as a part-time government in waiting. Those who want outside roles should have them...from the backbenches...
2. There's a lot of dead wood in the Shadow Cabinet. WHO? is absolutely right. Bring in people who are good performers, both on the media and on their brief, preferably people the public might have heard of.

This may be Cameron's last chance before an election to put his team in place. Get it right.

THX1138

Dump Osborne & that other prat at the treasury Hammond. Sack nanny woman & promote Letwin.

BTW just looked down the shadow cabinet list on the BBC site & I don't know half of them.. Talk about risen without trace and while I'm on a rant could someone please tell me what a Shadow Community Cohesion Minister does for and why I'm paying for one!

Marbury

Surely a slot should be found for Lisa Hilton?

TGF UKIP

Craig Barrett is right about "the unadulterated hunger for power" of the Labour front bench and not just 94-97 but right now.

Just watching the TV performances of the Labour first team and you get a sense of intensity that is completely lacking from the Tories. There is also a disciplined purpose in the way they not only chorus their credo in soundbite after soundbite but in their relentlessly consistent rubbishing of the Tories.

Dilettantes versus professionals is too often the impression given.

So far as any reshuffle is concerned there is one huge question. Are Gordon and Mandy praying that Dave will abide by Bullingdon rules and keep Boy George exactly where he is or are they so terrified of Osborne, as Fraser claims they are, that they are praying for his removal to "a strategic role"?

PS Has any front bench spokesman speaking to a supposedly major brief ever been so invisible as Peter Ainsworth? He really must have something on Dave.

strapworld

Why has my comment not been posted? Am I barred?

MartSharm

Osborne - Chancellor
Hague - Home
Grayling - Foreign
Grieve - Justice
Davis - Business / Mandelson
Duncan - Chairman
IDS - Work & Pensions
Gove - Education

Plus one unknown passionate pretender to shake things up.

DM

strapworld - I have attempted to post, without success, two or three comments this week. No idea why. (They were pretty pro-Cameron, by the way.)