+++ Spelman Demoted to Old Local Government Job +++

MONDAY, JANUARY 19, 2009

+++ Spelman Demoted to Old Local Government Job +++

New to the Shadow Cabinet:

• The Rt Hon Kenneth Clarke QC MP
  Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
  
  
• Mark Francois MP
  Shadow Minister for Europe

New Shadow Cabinet responsibilities:

• Alan Duncan MP
  Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
  
  
• Chris Grayling MP
  Shadow Home Secretary
  
  
• The Rt Hon Dominic Grieve QC MP
  Shadow Secretary of State for Justice
  
  
• Nick Herbert MP
  Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
  
  
• The Rt Hon Theresa May MP
  Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and Shadow Minister for Women
  
  
• Eric Pickles MP
  Chairman of the Conservative Party

Headbangers Explode Over Return of "Jurassic Clarke"

This didn't take long - the Bruges Group's Barry Legg says;

“This effectively means the end of David Cameron’s promise to hold a referendum on the EU Constitution... it is now clear that Mr Cameron does not have the will to carry the necessary legislation ... if the Conservative Party were elected to office. Mr Clarke and his supporters within the Conservative Party have been given carte blanch to oppose the policy. The so-called ‘big beast’ has trampled all over Mr Cameron as the price of his return to the Conservative front bench.”

The press release is a bit of a non-sequitur, since it is Clarke who has to change policy, or at least not disavow the settled Tory policy. Guido suspects that Clarke will try to restrain himself until the General Election.In government however...