The reshuffle responded to the lessons of the European elections

The talk before the reshuffle was all about the march of women into the cabinet, but the other story from yesterday’s developments is the positioning of Eurosceptic voices in the Cabinet. Rather than focusing on the demographic composition of the Cabinet, it’s worth considering the beliefs of those in key positions. In the run up to the election next year, and maybe a 2017 In/Out referendum, those who believe that fundamental reform of the EU is necessary and aren’t afraid to consider the alternative if it fails, will occupy key seats at the top table. No wonder Michael Fallon said ‘it’s certainly a Eurosceptic cabinet’ on the Today programme this morning.

The biggest part of this story is Philip Hammond’s move to the Foreign Office, which is likely to send shockwaves through Whitehall. The culture of the FCO has always been explicitly europhile, at odds with public sentiment. This has been reflected in processes such as the balance of competencies – an audit of the EU’s influence across government departments.