Decoding the Departures

Reshuffle Catch-Up Service: One of the most interesting lists published by No 10 last Wednesday was that towards the end of the reshuffle of ministers leaving the Government.

The following Ministers have resigned from Her Majesty’s Government

Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP

Rt Hon Cheryl Gillan MP

Rt Hon Sir George Young Bt MP

Rt Hon Lord Howell of Guildford

Rt Hon Nick Herbert MP

Rt Hon James Paice MP

Paul Burstow MP

Nick Gibb MP

Nick Harvey MP

Charles Hendry MP

Lord Henley

Henry Bellingham MP

Crispin Blunt MP

Jonathan Djanogly MP

Gerald Howarth MP

Tim Loughton MP

Peter Luff MP

Bob Neill MP

Stephen O’Brien MP

John Penrose MP

Andrew Stunell OBE MP

Sarah Teather MP

Baroness Wilcox

Edward Garnier QC MP

James Duddridge MP

Michael Fabricant MP

Brooks Newmark MP

Angela Watkinson MP

Bill Wiggin MP

In some Conservative cases, there seems to have been an element of rough justice in the departures, but no real pattern of ideology. Nick Gibb, for example, was a resolute moderniser, and Tim Loughton was much admired as knowledgeable about adoption and care.

The Lib Dem part of the reshuffle, however, saw a strong tilt to the Orange Bookers, the “right wing” of the party. Nick Harvey was no headbanger, but the absence of a Lib Dem at the Ministry of Defence means that the pacifist-neutralist obsession with getting rid of Trident nuclear weapons is going nowhere. Norman Lamb instead of Burstow at Health strengthens Nick Clegg’s control over a politically sensitive department. And of course David Laws instead of Teather at Education might allow the Lib Dems some joint credit for the one successful delivery department of the coalition.

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• creggancowboy

  The Liberals sole salvation is the left of the party, Social Liberal Forum types. Clegg delenda est.

• porkfright

  A lot of words here. Done any Precis, ever? In short- result of reshuffle-one nil to the neocons.