What the reshuffle means

As the dust settles, it is clear that the big story of the reshuffle is that Boris Johnson has created the most powerful central government operation in living memory. He has yoked together Number 10, the Treasury and the Cabinet Office. As I say in the Sun this morning, no department or agency will be able to resist the power of this new centre.

The rationale behind this move is simple. Boris Johnson’s view is what is the point of being in power if you are not actually in charge. He wants to bring an emphatic end to a decade of weak government. He believes that this new set up is what will enable him to deliver on his manifesto commitments.

Boris Johnson has been determined to avoid a Blair / Brown split. So, he was irked by a series of stories bigging up the power of the Treasury.