It is a sign of the influence that Steve Hilton has on the Cameron project that there have been more column inches devoted to his departure from Downing Street than there would be to most Cabinet resignations. But even after he heads to California in May, Hilton will still be part of the Cameron brains trust. He is already scheduled to work on the Prime Minister’s conference speech.
Hilton has, I understand, been mulling the idea of taking a sabbatical since last summer. His decision to go ahead and take next year off seems to have been motivated by a variety of factors. But those closest to him stress that family reasons genuinely were key.
This is not to say that Hilton is not frustrated. But he long ago accepted that being frustrated was part of his job as he tried to drive change through a government machine that has the engine of a lawnmower and the brakes of a Rolls Royce.
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