Today, Rishi Sunak is replacing Nadhim Zahawi as the leader of the Conservative Party and reorganizing the government’s principal departments.
Greg Hands, a senior trade minister, has been named the new head of CCHQ by the prime minister, more than a week after his predecessor was fired in a dispute over his tax issues.
Mr. Sunak has also initiated a drastic reorganization of Whitehall, with the Business Department of Grant Shapps being amalgamated with the Trade Department and Kemi Badenoch assuming control.
Mr. Shapps will be transferred to the newly created Energy Security department.
There will be a new ministry of “Science, Innovation, and Technology” that will include the current Culture Department’s digital responsibilities. This endeavor will be led by Michelle Donelan.
Lucy Frazer joins the Cabinet alongside Mr. Hands to assume Ms. Donelan’s former Culture brief.
The move is not likely to influence the future of Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, who is the subject of a bullying investigation.
Mr. Shapps tweeted, “Delighted to become the first Secretary of State for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero.” My focus will be on guaranteeing our long-term energy supply, reducing costs, and contributing to the (halving) of inflation.’
However, pessimistic Tories have expressed amazement at the ‘bizarre’ choice to try a substantial overhaul of the government’s ‘back end’ less than a year prior to the projected election date.
One person dubbed it “deckchair day,” a reference to the Titanic proverb about rearranging chairs as the ship sank.
The government stated that the creation of four new ministries would “ensure that the appropriate skills and teams are focused on the five pledges of the Prime Minister.”
A new Department for Energy Security and Net Zero will be tasked with ensuring the long-term energy supply of the United Kingdom, as well as reducing energy costs and halving inflation.
A new Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology will “drive the innovation that will improve public services, create new and better-paying jobs, and expand the economy.”
The Department of Business and Trade will “support growth by supporting British businesses domestically and internationally, promoting investment, and championing free trade.”
A redesigned Department of Culture, Media, and Sport will “acknowledge the importance of these industries to our economy and build on the United Kingdom’s position as a global leader in the creative arts.”
The modifications to the Business Department will basically undo prior modifications to the government’s apparatus.
How Tony Blair almost established the PENIS Department
Rishi Sunak will attempt to avoid repeating a mistake made by Tony Blair in 2005 when he reorganized Whitehall.
These modifications were intended to rename the Department of Commerce and Industry.
Alan Johnson, however, pointed out that the acronym for the new title, the Department for Productivity, Energy, Industry, and Science, was terrible.
Mr. Johnson revealed in his autobiography that he asked Mr. Blair, “Why was my department’s name changed to Penis?”
They agreed to restore the name back to the Department of Trade and Industry, with officials observing with “great merriment” that the erection of signs had not yet occurred.
In 2016, Theresa May amalgamated the Departments of Energy and Climate Change and Business.
Energy departments also existed under the administrations of Heath, Wilson, Callaghan, and Thatcher.
The last time a Department of Trade and Industry existed was between 1983 and 2007, when it was divided.
In the first 100 days of Mr. Sunak’s administration, a jaded Tory source deemed the notion of a “mini-reshuffle” including significant Whitehall machinery changes to be “bizarre.” What an incredible time to be alive. The timing makes little sense, but I may be overlooking a brilliant political power play.
Someone else stated, “It takes at least a year to implement these changes to government machinery.”
Mr. Sunak is trying to regain the initiative in the face of criticism from his predecessors Liz Truss and Boris Johnson about fundamental government policy tenets.
In a Spectator interview last night, Ms. Truss bemoaned the lack of a strategy to stimulate the economy, while Tory backbenchers’ calls for immediate tax cuts have increased.
Mr. Sunak appeared to be trying to identify a formidable candidate to succeed him as Tory chair, as both Brandon Lewis and Priti Patel expressed disinterest in the position.
The incumbent’s first priority will be to prepare for municipal elections in May, which the majority of members of parliament anticipate will be a bloodbath.
Today’s Redfield & Wilton Strategies poll reveals that Labour has a 26-point lead, the most since Mr. Sunak assumed the position of Prime Minister.
Nadine Dorries lamented the dissolution of her old Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport.
Despite being the most effective department in Whitehall, the former culture secretary, who was succeeded by Michelle Donelan when Liz Truss became prime minister, stated that the department has “tragically lacked profile” in recent years.
Ms. Dorries stated, “Our track record in technology, digital, gigabit rollout, and telecommunications speaks for itself.”
Andrew Mitchell, minister of development, did not deny that a cabinet upheaval is imminent.
He told GB News, “Well, these are matters way above my paygrade and they are matters for the Prime Minister, but I’m very happy indeed doing a job I’ve done before and loved very much, which is the international development job, and I’m going to do my best, especially today, to ensure that Britain puts its shoulder to the wheel and saves as many lives as possible.”
Mr. Sunak will hope to avoid repeating a mistake made by Tony Blair in 2005 when he reorganized Whitehall.
These modifications were intended to rename the Department of Commerce and Industry.
Alan Johnson, however, pointed out that the acronym for the new title, the Department for Productivity, Energy, Industry, and Science, was terrible.
Mr. Johnson revealed in his autobiography that he asked Mr. Blair, “Why was my department’s name changed to Penis?”
They agreed to restore the name back to the Department of Trade and Industry, with officials observing with “great merriment” that the erection of signs had not yet occurred.
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