In Number 10, they’ll also hope that Javid’s elevation will limit the political fallout from the Windrush scandal. As Javid’s Sunday Telegraph interview showed, he can speak about the scandal in a more personal way than most ministers. The Tories will hope that the first Home Secretary from an ethnic minority will mean that this whole scandal doesn’t do them permanent damage among ethnic minority voters.
Third, Javid will now become a member of the Brexit inner Cabinet. Having been an outspoken Eurosceptic, Javid ended up backing Remain in the referendum because of his worries about the effects on business of Britain leaving. Since the referendum, Javid has been one of the Cabinet pragmatists on Brexit—consistently arguing for the negotiating imperative of being as prepared as possible to walk away. He is also a strong believer that there is little point in Britain leaving the EU if it can’t do things differently on regulation and trade.
On the big customs debate, which will dominate Wednesday’s meeting of the Brexit inner Cabinet, Javid is a strong proponent of the need for the UK to have its own independent, trade policy after Brexit. Brexiteers are hopeful that his appointment will help swing the balance of those discussions in a more sensible direction, and away from the unworkable hybrid model that Theresa May is so keen on.
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