Greening’s rapid promotion

David Cameron has sent the Cabinet’s safest pair of hands to the Ministry of Defence. Philip Hammond, a robust Euro-sceptic with a belief in firm fiscal management, will bring calm and stability to the department. He’s also the Cabinet minister most likely to be able to sort out the longstanding problems of defence contracts going hugely over budget. As a close political ally of George Osborne, Hammond will be well placed to win extra funding for the department in the, sadly increasingly unlikely, event of the public finances having been put back on a sound footing by the end of the parliament.

Hammond is followed at Transport by Justine Greening. Greening voted for Fox in the 2005 leadership election. But, in recent years, she has become a trusted part of the Osborne operation.

Greening has been promoted from being number five in the Treasury team to being Secretary of State for Transport.