Three problems with Rishi Sunak’s reshuffle

Rishi Sunak’s reshuffle has confirmed a new set of government departments focused on science and business, and a new party chair. That’s all well and good: the Prime Minister is very keen to make Britain a science superpower and wants to put the right people in the right jobs as he prepares for the next election. Civil servants are moving into new jobs, as are ministers. The new departments will use the existing government estate, but it isn’t yet clear where they’ll all be. But there are a number of potential problems with what’s been announced today.

Is this the right reorganisation of Whitehall?

Changing government departments can sometimes just be a matter of redesigning the letterhead to reflect your priorities as an administration, such as the rebranding of Labour’s Department for Children, Schools and Families to the Tory Department for Education. Today’s reorganisation is bigger than that, splitting Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy into three new departments: Energy Security and Net Zero; Science, Innovation and Technology; and Business and Trade.