The lesson in Chloe Smith’s car crash interview

 
Before David Cameron reshuffles his government, he should sit down and watch Chloe Smith’s interview on Newsnight yesterday. It was a reminder of how important it is how to have ministers in departments who can go out and do the media on difficult days for the government, something that there are going to be plenty more of in the next few years given the economic situation.

One of the priorities of the shuffle should be to ensure that every department has at least one minister who can go out and get the government’s message across. The freezing of fuel duty should have been all about the government doing something to help people whose budgets are being squeezed by below inflation pay increases. After Channel 4 News, another interview where she had a tricky time, Smith should have been urged just to sit there and answer every question by saying how much better off the average family is thanks to the fact fuel duty is 10p lower than it would have been under the last Labour government’s plans.