The strategy behind Boris Johnson's incoming government shake-up

Boris Johnson’s first week back in Parliament did not lead to the type of fireworks many had been expecting after the Prime Minister’s decisive election victory. Over Christmas, there was chatter that Johnson was building up to a mass restructuring of Whitehall, a cull of the Cabinet and a reorganisation of the civil service. This was expected to take place in what had been dubbed the ‘Valentine’s Day massacre’ by government insiders.

Next month, changes are still expected – with a reshuffle coming and a reorganisation of departments. However, it will likely not meet initial expectations in terms of scope. Over the weekend, Boris Johnson met at Chequers with key members of his team and government officials to discuss the changes. In recent weeks, there has been a move away from culling departments en masse. Instead only small changes are expected when it comes to the Whitehall reconfiguration.