Theresa May’s Cabinet reshuffle proved puzzling for a number of reasons – from what the point was, to why Chris Grayling was falsely announced as party chairman. However, within the Conservative party it’s the movement of figures from the Department for Education that has caused the most chatter.
Justine Greening left government after she was ousted as Education Secretary while universities minister Jo Johnson was shuffled to transport. As Isabel has written on Coffee House, the Johnson demotion is particularly strange given that he was midway through setting up the new Office for Students, including the legislation to go through Parliament. There have been some suggestions that the move was a punishment for the negative headlines generated with the appointment – and subsequent resignation – of Toby Young.
However, there is a bigger factor at play: tuition fees. Both Greening and Johnson were in favour of tuition fees and opposed No 10’s conference announcement of a lacklustre ‘freeze’ on fees.
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