As David Cameron recovers from his night of internecine violence, a peculiar weakness emerges in his Cabinet.
SILKY MANOEUVRES
As David Cameron recovers from his night of internecine violence — and finally gets to do “the nice bit” and promote some eager-beaver new ministers — a peculiar weakness emerges in his Cabinet. Law makers who have actual experience of practising the law are rather few and far between.
The number of Queen’s Counsels (the most accomplished barristers) in Parliament is at an all-time low. Now that Cameron has fired all his senior Silks — Ken Clarke, Dominic Grieve and Oliver Heald — we have the prospect of a Cabinet with no QCs at all. A first in history, and leaving him dangerously under-staffed when it comes to top-notch legal know-how.
Our solution? Perhaps he could ennoble accomplished barrister (and regular humiliator of the Government in the High Court) Alexander Cameron QC. After all, getting the fearsome lawyer into government would mean an end to all those pesky cases he keeps winning and his legal aid protests. And surely no-one would hold it against Alexander that he is, in fact, Call-Me-Dave’s older brother.
OH MY LORD
Speaking of peerages — has Greg Barker been promised one? The energetic former energy minister stepped down in the reshuffle after spending the weekend with Mr Cameron at Chequers. The two are said to have had “deep discussions” about his future —Barker gave up his job voluntarily and is standing down as an MP in 2015.
“Don’t expect to see Greg out of Parliament for long,” whispers a source close to the action. “Come 2015 he’ll be Lord Barker of Bexhill”.
Such a deal would make sense. Barker was an early Cameroon and has been scrupulously loyal — “Cameron owes Greg, he was the first MP to back him for leader who wasn’t either an old school chum or a Bullingdon boy,” says one wag.
SITTING BY THE PHONE
Disappointment for Boris on two fronts. Last night was his annual drinks party for the press at City Hall — an event muted in attendance and in interest by the changes at Number 10. Oh, and poor Boris was on the sidelines. “Thank you all for coming, on a night with so many other attractions,” he said ... “including of course the Cabinet reshuffle. I’ve been sitting by my phone all day waiting for the call from Number 10. But alas it never came.”
BRIEF SNIFFING
Finally, a pyrrhic victory for Home Secretary Theresa May. Michael Gove’s demotion from Education Secretary to Chief Whip (meaning he’s no longer even a full member of Cabinet) makes May the ultimate winner in the pair’s ongoing feud. But the Londoner’s moles in Whitehall point out that this new, cross-cutting role will give Gove the right to legitimately do what colleagues have long accused of him of —poking his nose into other people’s ministerial briefs. It was such freelancing that first ignited the furious row between Gove and May — look out for further fireworks.
