Westminster is ablaze with rumours about a long-awaited government reshuffle. Half the lobby think it’s happening; half of them insist it’s not. Scraps of information are compared and scrutinised in pubs and bars across Whitehall; Whatsapps blaze with talk of three line whips and special advisers cancelling leave. One thing’s for certain: tomorrow will be an excellent time for making phone calls to ambitious Tory MPs from withheld numbers…
A good reshuffle can re-energise a flagging regime; a bad one risks causing confusion and discontent. Examples of the former include Churchill bolstering his ranks in 1942 or Thatcher’s purging the wets in 1981. Cases of the latter are (sadly) more frequent and can be said to include Thatcher mishandling Howe in 1989 and Blair appointing his fourth Home Secretary in five years in 2006.
All too often, forgetful Prime Ministers are distracted by placating the big beasts to notice the fate of minnows in the junior ministerial ranks. Back
Get Britain's best politics newsletters
Register to get The Spectator's insight and opinion straight to your inbox. You can then read two free articles each week.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in