Reshuffle rumours ahoy!

Plenty of Tory reshuffle speculation swirling around the Westminster washbowl today, but this from Ben Brogan is worth highlighting:

“News just in: Cabinet ministers heading for PMQs seem to think that Iain Duncan Smith is about to be brought back to the Shadow Cabinet to take on James Purnell. Must be a spot of fun following the Hague thing. Cue jokes about “bald beasts” and Michael Howard returning to take on home affairs.”

If IDS were to return to the frontline, many would see it as a deserved reward for his excellent work with the Centre for Social Justice.  He certainly has the political and intellectual nous to take on James Purnell over welfare reform – although the current shadow work and pensions incumbent, Chris Grayling, isn’t lacking in that respect either, and there have to be doubts over whether IDS would accept the brief.  Even so, you can expect this rumour to stoke speculation that Grayling’s going to replace Spelman as party chairman.  We shall see.

P.S. While we’re on the topic of party chairman, one thing worth considering is whether talk of Cameron giving Hague a “massively expanded roving brief to front the Tories’ election battle with Labour” has once again diminished the role’s attractiveness.