There are two more government resignations ahead of tonight’s reshuffle. John Randall, the deputy chief whip, has gone as has Chloe Smith, the Cabinet Office minister.
Randall’s retirement has been overdue for a while now in the opinion of many in Downing Street. There is irritation at the way he put pressure on David Cameron to get rid of Andrew Mitchell during the plebgate affair. His departure and the expected elevation of several whips—Nicky Morgan and Karen Bradley are both in line for promotion—paves the way for a freshening up of the whips’ office.
Chloe Smith quitting is going to tempt everyone to dust off the footage of that Paxman interview with her. But, I hear, that Smith’s desire to protect her own marginal seat was more important to the decision. There was actually a sense that Smith had recovered relatively well from that disastrous interview. So, Number 10 was fairly surprised when she wrote to the Prime Minister last month saying she wanted to step down.
Tomorrow, we’ll hear who has been promoted. It is expected to be a good day for women and northern MPs. As I say in the Mail on Sunday, Esther McVey is tipped for a second successive promotion. Amber Rudd, George Osborne’s PPS, is another who’d be well advised to make sure her phone is fully charged tomorrow. While the straight talking, Cameron loyalist Kris Hopkins is almost expected to do well. The promotion of this Yorkshire MP and former army private would help counteract the idea that the Tories are just a posh, southern party.
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