The case for keeping Chris Grayling in the Cabinet

Fairness is not a concept known to political reporting. That’s not how the lobby works. I used to be a Westminster correspondent. We hunted as a pack. We kicked those who were down and sucked up to the winners. 

In this article, far too late, I will try rescue the reputation of one of Theresa May’s and David Cameron’s most loyal and capable ministers.

Few politicians have been the object of such sustained and brutal criticism as Transport Secretary Chris ‘Failing’ Grayling. Few have deserved it less.

 I will show that a great deal of the criticism has been unfair. I’ll argue that Mr Grayling is paying the price for his personal decency and loyalty to colleagues.

Let’s start with the much-vaunted ferry fiasco late last year. He awarded a £14m ferry contract for the shipping of emergency medical supplies to a company without any ships or port contracts. This episode made Mr Grayling into a standing target for every TV pundit or journalist in search of a cheap laugh.

 I have looked into this episode and found that Mr Grayling’s conduct cannot be criticised.