Politics

Johnson’s reshuffle throws up jokers

Published

6 years ago

February 20, 2020

IT WAS all about ‘The Saj’.
The shock departure of the former Chancellor from the government only a few weeks before his first Budget surprised media commentators and MPs alike.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer’s ‘did-he-fall/was-he-pushed’ resignation aside, the reshuffle was a return to the traditional way of Cabinet reshuffling Cabinet members. Out with the competent and argumentative and in with a collection of flunkies and stooges who owe everything to their loyalty to Brexit and Boris Johnson.
Julian Smith became Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in July last year. In his brief tenure in that role, he managed to re-establish the Northern Ireland Assembly and a cross-party power-sharing executive after three years of constitutional limbo during its suspension. That is the sort of signal achievement which usually leads to promotion. However, Mr Smith was an advocate of a ‘softer’ Brexit than proposed by Number Ten. He had gone so far to comment, in October last year, a no-deal Brexit would be “a very, very bad idea for Northern Ireland”.
Competent and with a record of achievement in his brief Cabinet tenure, he had to go.
His replacement is former Conservative Party Chair, Brandon Lewis. Ironically, one of the Conservative MPs who broke pairing arrangements at Mr Smith’s direction when the latter was Chief Whip.
The reaction to Julian Smith’s departure was a series of aghast tributes by all sides in Northern Ireland and Mr Lewis’ appointment greeted by the sort of ‘dangerous indifference’, Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar suggested was behind his predecessor’s sacking.
Mr Lewis is as loyal as a loyal thing. You tell him what to be loyal to and he’ll be loyal to it. Rather like a cushion, he bears the impression of the last backside to sit on him. He will lead the nodding dog tendency in Cabinet meetings.
The only tension in the Cabinet with him in it will be whether he or Health Secretary Matt Hancock gets the first Boris Bonio after meetings.
There weren’t only high profile departures, though. Liz Truss remains in place as Secretary of State for International Trade. No. Don’t laugh. Ms Truss’ presence at the Cabinet table is a sign of hope and a beacon to others. Her continued tenure in government is evidence that no matter how dimwitted, mediocre or out-of-their-depth a person is, this is a government of opportunity for all. Her presence shows senior backbenchers with talent, intelligence, and ability that their gifts are no substitute for those qualities’ total absence. To new Conservative MPs with room temperature IQs, her example shows that they, too, can aspire to Cabinet status.
The same might be said for Matt Hancock. The Health Secretary, who’s behaviour in the election campaign marked him out as a man to watch – preferably while he sat in a padded cell rocking to himself and murmuring the words ‘forty new hospitals’ over and over – is the only person in the country to take what the Prime Minister says at face value. The incredibly credulous Hancock has chained himself to the wheel of misfortune and will spin every disaster into a triumph with puppy-like devotion. Like a whipped dog will try to make friends with its tormentor, Matt’s loyalty is endless.
The departure of Andrea Leadsom demonstrates that even Boris Johnson thinks a joke can be taken too far. Floundering in every position she ever occupied, it is difficult to conceive that she could have been the leader of her party, and subsequently PM, barely three years ago, Ms Leadsom’s legendarily argumentative nature ushered her to the Cabinet door.
Her replacement at the Department of Business, Energy, Investment and Skills (BEIS) is Ashok Sharma. Mr Sharma’s appointment is interesting. He might be dangerously half as clever as Boris Johnson thinks he is, which means he could run rings round the PM. His ability was rewarded in a particularly cunning way. Accepting a role turned down by a former PM and a former Foreign Secretary, Mr Sharma will coordinate and chair the government’s preparations for the next round of climate change talks, due to take place in Glasgow later this year.
If the conference achieves anything, highly unlikely as the US, China and India will stall any possible progress, the praise will be the government’s and therefore Boris Johnson’s. Like the Sun King, Boris is not only a state but the state. If it all goes the well-known shape of a pear, Mr Sharma gets to take the fall. Rewarding ability with a poisoned chalice: that’s the way of government these days.
Theresa Villiers’ departure from DEFRA and her replacement with George Eustice received a cautious but warm welcome from farming unions and rural organisations. Ms Villiers’ naked enthusiasm for the benefits of free trade and blindness to the consequences of it for UK agriculture did little to instil farmer with any confidence in her to do what was best for the industry. From a farming background himself, Mr Eustice is far better placed to sell any betrayal to those farmers who, free of the EU as they wished, find their businesses going down the pan if/when imports of lower quality and lower price undercut them after December 31 this year.
The Department of Culture Media and Sport (Don’t Care Much, Seriously) has a new Secretary of State in Oliver Dowden. Mr Dowden replaces Nicky Morgan, a minister you couldn’t possibly describe as two-faced as she wouldn’t wear the one she does if she was.
Mr Dowden’s main ministerial achievement in a brief parliamentary career was his replacement by Jonny (‘Did I mention I was in the Army?’) Mercer as a junior flunky in the Cabinet Office. His task is to put into place the Government’s policy of neutering the BBC and trashing public service broadcasting. A PR man before entering parliament and – as a special advisor to David Cameron – a PR man for a PR man, Mr Dowden will have to sell the Government’s plans to dismember the BBC to the public and MPs.
The appointment that caused most comment and concern was Suella Braverman’s promotion to replace Geoffrey Cox QC as Attorney General. Brexiteers hailed Mr Cox’s independence of mind and judgement when he declined to rubber-stamp Theresa May’s proposals for an Irish Backstop as part of her doomed attempts to force a Withdrawal Agreement through Parliament. He also loudly – he doesn’t do quietly – laid into the High Court’s decision that Mr Johnson’s prorogation of Parliament was unlawful. However, Mr Cox is also a person with a deep and abiding respect for the rule of law and the need for courts to act as a check and balance on poorly-made and ill-considered legislation. The growth of Judicial Reviews of governments’ laws can be partly laid at the door of those who prepare legislative measures in haste and then repent at leisure as the Court’s painstakingly explain why they are unenforceable or unlawful. Whatever his flaws as a Government minister, Geoffrey Cox is a proper lawyer with a keen understanding that bad laws and incompetently-prepared legislation are properly subjected to scrutiny by the Courts.
Suella Braverman has no such scruples. An advocate of increasing political vetting of judicial appointments, she also has no evident skills as either an advocate for sound law and sound law-making.
The role of the Attorney General is to advise the government, as impartially as possible in the circumstances, on a range of legal issues arising from its planned legislative programme. Ms Braverman’s appointment is a sign that what Boris Johnson wants most from his law officers is a nodding-dog approach, a readiness to sign-off on any crackpot plan, and knifing the Courts for doing their job properly in a plural democracy in which an overmighty executive needs curbing.
The most rabid of Brexiteers and an appalling media performer whose backside she often confuses with her humerus, Suella Braveman cannot be relied upon to do what’s right but can be relied upon to do what Boris Johnson tells her is right. Otherwise, her main qualification for her new role seems to be the gift of forgetting that she studied at the Sorbonne under the Erasmus programme and had her post-graduate studies in Paris funded by the French embassy. In other words, precisely the sort of exposure to continental education and cultural enrichment this Government is dedicated to ending.
And finally, we come to the new Chancellor. Rishi Sunak’s rise to power is proof that enormous personal wealth, a background as a merchant banker and having a job working for his indescribably wealthy father-in-law. All that might be unfair to Mr Sunak; however, replacing state-educated Sajid Javid with a privileged alumnus of Winchester could be easily interpreted as an attempt to broaden the government’s appeal to distressed billionaires.
Mr Javid’s loaded remarks around the circumstances of his dismissal, ‘no self-respecting minister would continue to serve’ (if ordered to sack his entire team of ministerial advisors) suggests Mr Sunak’s self-respect is in inverse proportion to his self-regard. It is also a sign that Mr Johnson has restored the long-forgotten tradition of the Exchequer as a money chest at the beck-and-call of a prime-ministerial whim. Mr Sunak’s one advantage is that he can scarcely be sacked after the manner of his predecessor’s leaving. At least for as long as he does what he’s told.
The cringe-worthy sight of Mr Johnson’s new Cabinet at its first meeting playing call and response with the class bully suggests that Boris Johnson now has a team he wants. More-or-less malleable office-holders who will do as they are told. Taking back control, it turns out, means an uncontrollable PM.

News

Senedd election candidates confirmed as vote.wales goes live

Published

20 hours ago

April 11, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Voters can now check who is standing in their constituency ahead of polling day on May 7

A TOTAL of 675 candidates will contest the Senedd election on May 7, with voters across Wales now able to see exactly who is standing in their area through the newly launched vote.wales website.

The nomination period for candidates closed at 4:00pm on Thursday (Apr 9), and full details of all confirmed candidates are now available online.

At this year’s election, Wales has been divided into 16 constituencies, with each one electing six Members of the Senedd under a closed-list proportional voting system. Voters will receive one ballot paper and will be able to vote either for a political party or for an individual independent candidate.

Under the new system, the number of seats won in each constituency is intended to broadly reflect each party’s share of the vote. That means, for example, that a party receiving around half the vote in a constituency would be expected to win three of the six available seats.

Political parties were allowed to put forward up to eight candidates in each constituency, while individuals were also able to stand as independents.

In total, the 675 candidates standing for election are competing for 96 seats in the next Senedd. They represent 16 political parties, along with 30 independent candidates.

Voters can use the postcode search on vote.wales to find out who is standing in their constituency. The website also allows users to check where their polling station is, what accessibility features are available there, and which constituency they belong to.

People wanting to see who is standing in other parts of Wales can do so through the site’s “Browse by constituency” section.

Vote.wales is a new website created for this year’s Senedd election and is intended to give voters clear and reliable information before polling day. It is managed by the Electoral Management Board for Wales, which is part of the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru.

From Thursday, April 16, candidates’ leaflets will also be published on the site, allowing voters to see not only who is standing, but what they are standing for.

The website also includes information on how to vote, who is entitled to vote, and what powers and responsibilities the Senedd has.

Shereen Williams MBE OStJ, Chief Executive of the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru, said: “We created vote.wales to give people all the information they need before the Senedd election on May 7.

“Now that candidates have been confirmed across Wales, people can find out exactly who they can vote for with a simple postcode search.

“We’re grateful to all the Returning Officers and election staff across Wales who are working so hard to deliver this election. It’s thanks to their hard work that people can now go to vote.wales to see who is standing in their constituency.

“If you have any questions about this election, vote.wales is the place to go. Voting confidence starts here.”

Who is standing?

In the Ceredigion Penfro constituency, voters will be choosing from candidates representing the Welsh Conservatives, Gwlad, the Heritage Party, Plaid Cymru, Plaid Werdd Cymru, Reform UK, Welsh Labour and the Welsh Liberal Democrats, along with three independents.

For the Welsh Conservatives, the candidates are Paul Windsor Davies, Samuel Deri Kurtz, Claire Victoria George, Brian Andrew Murphy, Gill Evans and Claire Malaina Jones.

Gwlad has selected Gwyn Wigley Evans, while the Heritage Party candidate is Elizabeth Davies.

Plaid Cymru has put forward Elin Jones, Kerry Ferguson, Anna Nicholl, Cris Tomos, Colin Nosworthy, Clive Davies, Owain Jones and Matt Adams.

Plaid Werdd Cymru is standing Amy Nicholass, Tomass Jereminovics, James Henry Purchase, Morgan Hope Phillips, Rosie O’Toole and Kezia Autumn Hine.

Reform UK’s candidates are Susan Claire Archibald, Paul Marr, Michael Timothy Allen, Elisa Bessie Gonzalez Randall, Peter Martin John and Bernard Holton.

Welsh Labour has selected Eluned Morgan, Marc Tierney, Joshua Phillips, Margaret Greenaway, Tansaim Hussain-Gul, Luke Davies-Jones and Peter Huw Jenkins.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats are standing Sandra Louise Jervis, Alistair Ronald Cameron, Tom Hughes, Lee Dennis Thomas John Herring, Andrew Christopher Lye and Maggie Robinson.

The independent candidates in the constituency are Aaron Carey, George Alexander Chadzy and Paul Haywood Dowson.

Voters have until April 20 to register to take part in the election. Unlike some other polls, photo ID is not required to vote at Senedd elections.

News

Billionaire donor returns to UK to keep backing Reform

Published

20 hours ago

April 11, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Ben Delo says new overseas donation cap is designed to curb support for Nigel Farage’s party

CRYPTOCURRENCY billionaire Ben Delo says he is returning to Britain so he can continue donating millions of pounds to Reform UK, after Labour unveiled plans to cap political donations from Britons living overseas.

Mr Delo, 42, who is currently based in Hong Kong, has already given £4 million to Reform this year. But under new government proposals, overseas electors would be limited to donating £100,000 a year.

The businessman has accused Sir Keir Starmer’s government of trying to tilt the political playing field in Labour’s favour by making it harder for Reform to attract major backing from wealthy British supporters living abroad.

Writing in The Telegraph, Mr Delo said he would relocate to the UK in order to continue funding Nigel Farage’s party and help it build a serious war chest before the next general election.

Mr Delo is widely known as a co-founder of the cryptocurrency trading platform BitMEX, which helped make him one of Britain’s youngest self-made billionaires.

He has also spoken publicly about having Asperger’s syndrome, saying he finds much of modern politics difficult to interpret because of what he sees as evasive and unclear language. He contrasted that with Mr Farage’s more direct style of speaking, which he said he finds easier to understand.

Mr Delo said his financial support could help Reform expand its staffing, improve campaign preparation and spend more on events, advertising and organisation ahead of the next national vote.

He also suggested the new donation cap could be aimed at limiting support from other wealthy overseas backers, including businessman Christopher Harborne, who has also donated substantial sums to Reform.

Mr Delo argued that while Labour continues to benefit from large donations linked to the trade union movement, the new rules would make it harder for rival parties to compete on equal terms.

The government says the proposed changes are part of a wider effort to tighten electoral law and reduce the risk of foreign influence in British politics.

Mr Farage welcomed Mr Delo’s decision, saying the funding would help Reform continue developing as a party that is serious about government and capable of attracting the expertise needed to prepare for power.

Mr Delo said he hoped other wealthy expatriates who want to support political causes in Britain would also consider returning to the UK.

News

Midwives face jobs uncertainty in Wales as staffing fears deepen

Published

21 hours ago

April 11, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Union warns of risks to maternity services while Conservatives attack Labour and Plaid Cymru over workforce planning

NEWLY qualified midwives in Wales are facing uncertainty over whether they will be able to secure NHS jobs this summer, despite continuing concerns about pressure on maternity services and safe staffing.

The issue has opened a fresh political row over NHS workforce planning in Wales after the Royal College of Midwives Cymru warned that delays to the recruitment process, alongside a cut in training places, risk undermining the long-term sustainability of maternity care.

Health Education and Improvement Wales has confirmed that the all-Wales nursing and midwifery student streamlining process has been postponed from April 8 to May 11, 2026. HEIW said the delay was agreed to give health boards more time to review workforce positions, confirm and validate vacancies, and maximise the number of roles available. It added that NHS Wales organisations were dealing with a complex financial and operational position, and that fewer Band 5 roles suitable for graduates are currently available than in previous years.

In a statement published on April 8, RCM Cymru said the delay had created the possibility of fewer vacancies for newly qualified healthcare students in Wales this summer. The union said the situation exposed a worrying disconnect between the number of midwives being trained and the availability of secure and sustainable roles within NHS Wales.

Julie Richards, Director of RCM Cymru, said: “This is deeply concerning, particularly at a time when maternity services in Wales are already under significant pressure. Newly qualified midwives are a vital part of the workforce – they are skilled, committed and ready to provide high-quality care to women, babies and families. The prospect of them being unable to find employment is both troubling and of great concern.”

She added: “On one hand we have national reviews and assessments highlighting the urgent need to improve staffing levels to ensure safe, equitable care. On the other, we are seeing newly qualified midwives facing uncertainty about their future employment. That simply does not add up.”

RCM Cymru also warned that the problem went beyond short-term graduate anxiety and posed a wider risk to the profession. Richards said: “We are at real risk of losing talented professionals before they have even begun their careers. Without immediate action, newly qualified midwives may be forced into non-clinical roles, insecure employment or leave the profession entirely. That would be a devastating loss for maternity services and for the women and families who rely on them.”

Those concerns build on the union’s response to the All-Wales Maternity and Neonatal Assurance Assessment, published in February, in which RCM Cymru said staffing shortages must be treated as an immediate safety issue. In that response, Richards said safe staffing was the foundation of safe care and called for dedicated funding, proper support for newly qualified midwives, and stronger backing for midwifery leaders.

The deeper concern for the union is that the current jobs squeeze appears to sit uneasily beside repeated official warnings about pressure in maternity care. In a letter seen by The Herald, RCM Cymru said HEIW had confirmed a delay to midwifery streamlining creating reduced employment opportunities for newly qualified midwives, and warned that a reduction in commissioned student midwife places from 224 to 144 — a fall of 36 per cent — risked future shortages from 2030 onwards.

That argument is likely to intensify scrutiny of Welsh Government policy, because in a written statement on March 9, Health Secretary Jeremy Miles said ministers were maintaining £319.6 million of investment in education and training for healthcare professionals in 2026-27. He said the government had chosen a measured approach that would support a one-year stabilising position while longer-term workforce modelling was completed, adding that NHS Wales now employed more staff than at any point in its history.

However, RCM Cymru argues that a focus on vacancy data and budget pressures risks overlooking the actual demands on maternity services. In its letter, the union said financial constraints appeared to have been prioritised over a full assessment of workforce capacity, including safe staffing requirements, training commitments, maternity leave, workload, burnout, attrition and skill mix.

The Welsh Conservatives have seized on the issue as part of a broader attack on Labour’s record in government and Plaid Cymru’s support for ministers. In a statement released on Friday (Apr 10), Welsh Conservative health spokesman Peter Fox said: “After years of mismanagement, we are now seeing trained paramedics, nurses, doctors and midwives being left without clear job prospects in Wales, while patients are left waiting longer for care.

“This is a clear failure of workforce planning. Instead of securing the next generation of NHS staff, Labour and Plaid Cymru are presiding over a system that risks losing them altogether.”

Fox said his party would seek to retain, recruit and train more doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives and health professionals in Wales.

The midwives issue has emerged against a wider backdrop of concern over graduate NHS recruitment in Wales. RCN Wales has already warned that up to half of newly qualified nurses could be left without a job when recruitment opens, while HEIW has acknowledged that the number of available Band 5 posts is currently lower than in previous years.

What is not yet clear is whether ministers will offer a direct response to the specific warning from RCM Cymru over newly qualified midwives. No substantive Welsh Government or Plaid Cymru comment addressing that narrow issue appeared alongside the public statements reviewed by The Herald. The most recent Welsh Government position remains its March commitment to protect healthcare training investment and its February acceptance of the recommendations of the maternity and neonatal assurance assessment.

For now, the contradiction at the heart of the row remains unresolved. Maternity services have been told they must improve staffing and safety, yet newly qualified midwives are being warned there may not be enough jobs for them in Wales.

RCM Cymru says that does not add up. HEIW says it is trying to maximise available roles in a difficult financial climate. The Welsh Conservatives say it is proof of long-term failure in workforce planning.

What happens when the streamlining process finally opens on May 11 may show whether the delay was enough to close the gap — or whether Wales is about to lose a new intake of midwives before many of them even begin their careers.