Why Theresa May needs a deputy Prime Minister

Bizarrely, many of the Cabinet haven’t yet heard from Theresa May or her closest aides. Number 10 need to get on the phones—and quick. She will need the Cabinet’s support in a way she never has before in the next few weeks and months, and securing that support will require actively consulting them.

Several senior Tories are arguing that May should appoint a deputy Prime Minister. The thinking is that this would force May to consult beyond her own, extremely tight inner circle.

Following this advice would be a smart move by Theresa May. It would reassure the Cabinet that things genuinely will be different now, and that May is prepared to change the way he governs. It would also improve the quality of policy-making, preventing a repeat of errors such as the social care policy.

Some argue that this DPM needs to be a Brexiteer. But I don’t think that their position on the European issue is as important as their ability to command the confidence of the Cabinet and backbench Tory MPs.