Reshuffle

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Richard
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Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2014 3:36 pm

Reshuffle

Postby Richard » Thu Feb 13, 2020 7:16 pm

Boris Johnson made Sajid Javid an offer he had to refuse - keep your job, but none of the power.
Told by the Prime Minister he could keep his job as Chancellor if he sacked his own special advisers, with new ones working from a special unit under the direct control of Dominic Cummings in No 10, Mr Javid had little choice but to resign.
If he had stayed on, he would have found his role emasculated less than a month to go before the delivery of his first and most important Budget, as well as being in the unhappy position of being responsible for his advisers losing their jobs.

Javid has been replaced by his deputy, Rishi Sunak, the chief secretary to the Treasury, who is a favourite within No 10.
Javid, who had been in post since last summer, repeatedly clashed with Johnson’s senior adviser, Dominic Cummings, over issues such as restraints on spending.
There is more money to be spent on the public services, with the age of austerity coming to a close. But Mr Javid’s argument was that, after so many years of restraint, some caution was still needed.

Looks like No.10 wanted to listen to D. Cummings above all others.

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seahermit
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Re: Reshuffle

Postby seahermit » Fri Feb 14, 2020 11:56 am

Others would know more about the dynamics which operate within the closeness of government leadership. But from outside it does seem a brutal and rather bizarre decision by Boris - surely Sajid Javid was seen to have done a reasonably competent job as Chancellor and to be a calm and intelligent operator? Boris is being somewhat impulsive to start losing some of his best tried and tested ministers.

Maybe it is not so much about Javid being too cautious on spending and unwilling to be too radical - but more about shifting the power base more centrally to No. 10. As you see, the intricacies of the knife-wielding which goes on at that political level are beyond me!

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Richard
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Re: Reshuffle

Postby Richard » Fri Feb 14, 2020 2:43 pm

Javid didn't last long - 202 days or so.
Javid's rules to maintain fiscal credibility had been opposed by Cummings, who wanted No.10 more freedom to turn the spending taps on wherever and whenever it liked.‌
Also leaks by Javid's team annoyed Boris and Cummings.
It is believed that Cummings himself was writing most of the coming Budget and the perception commonly held is that Boris is being led by the nose by Cummings.
Javid’s own parting shot makes life very difficult for his successor, saying “no self respecting minister” could accept he can’t hire his own advisers.


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