It's a change in delivery, not in direction

UK Political Editor

Wednesday 5 September 2012

DAVID Cameron's reshuffle was all about delivery and not a change in direction, No 10 insisted yesterday, and, as if to underline the point, the man credited with making the 2012 Olympics a great success – delivered on time and on budget – was appointed to Government.

Custom byline text:

MICHAEL SETTLE UK POLITICAL EDITOR

Former banker Paul Deighton is to become Minister for Infrastructure and Economic Delivery to ensure all those new projects get built.

With promotions for Andrew Mitchell, Chris Grayling and Owen Paterson, there appears to be a move to the right; no doubt, to balance the return to government of LibDem David Laws, who will have a "roving brief" and be Nick Clegg's advisor on everything.

Mr Mitchell, an economic rightwinger, will seek to instil discipline on the Tory benches as the next election approaches. Tory tough guy Chris Grayling will take a harder line on prisons and the European Convention, and Owen Paterson, a supposed climate change denier, now leads the Department for the Environment.While one centrist Tory insisted the changes meant it was "a lurch to the Right", a more traditionalist described it as a "return to mainstream Conservatism".Mr Cameron's biggest headache appeared to come in the form of Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, who has found a mission on welfare reform after his Easterhouse epiphany. He turned down a move to the Justice Department and the PM relented, believing it was better to have the former leader in the tent.The same went for Ken Clarke, the former chancellor, already something of a loose cannon in Government and would be too much of a ticking timebomb outside it. No 10 insisted he would bring "huge experience" as Minister Without Portfolio.Sayeeda Warsi was less successful than Mr Duncan Smith in keeping her Cabinet job as she was demoted to a dual role, leading for the Government in the Lords on Foreign Affairs and taking on the post of Faith and Communities Minister. Justine Greening, out of step with Mr Cameron on airport expansion, was moved sideways to International Development.The emollient Jeremy Hunt was rewarded for his handling of the Olympics as Culture Secretary and will, as England's new Health Secretary, try to rebuild bridges on the NHS reforms ahead of the next election. His predecessor, Andrew Lansley, goes to the departure lounge of Government, which is Leader of the Commons. Grant Shapps, the youthful and telegenic Housing Minister, becomes sole Tory Chairman, charged with selling government policy in a more aggressive way. Mr Clarke and Mr Lansley aside, all the big Tory beasts stayed in place, as did the senior LibDems, meaning that while there will be a stronger focus on delivery and presentation in the second half of the Parliament, the policy direction remains, for now, unchanged.

Contextual targeting label:

Local government

Commenting & Moderation

We moderate all comments on HeraldScotland on either a pre-moderated or post-moderated basis. If you're a relatively new user then your comments will be reviewed before publication and if we know you well then your comments will be subject to moderation only if other users or the moderators believe you've broken the rules, which are available here.

Moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. Please be patient if your posts are not approved instantly.

It's a change in delivery, not in direction

Commenting & Moderation

MOST READ

SPONSORED LINKS

MOST COMMENTED