Today’s reshuffle has been largely about cosmetic improvements to the Conservative party — not just through the promotion of female MPs, but also by neutralising certain policy areas such as education and planning reform that had antagonised some groups. But an important element in any changing of the guard is party management, and not just managing cross sacked ministers. So how has the Conservative party reacted to today’s events?
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Michael Gove
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Naturally, all Tory MPs are as startled as everyone else by Michael Gove’s departure. But it does make sense to them. Ministerial colleagues had grown increasingly frustrated that Gove, who polls very badly with the general public, was having fights and intervening on issues that either didn’t affect him or were what Lynton Crosby would consider ‘barnacles’. Number 10 may be insisting that this wasn’t a demotion, and it certainly wasn’t a vote of no confidence in Gove’s policies, but it is being seen as a demotion in the Tory party.
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