Who should get what?

In February I pontificated about the composition of Cameron-Clegg government – to general ridicule. The blogpost looks increasingly prescient now that David Cameron seems to be favouring a formal deal with the Lib Dems.

Assuming that Lib Dem MPs will sit around the Cabinet table, what ministries should they get? The assumption is that the Lib Dems want six Cabinet post and will probably end with no more than four.

The Conservatives cannot give up the Chancellorship, Education or the FCO – departments that are important for the leadership, its worldview and its reform agenda . Nor is it easy to see a Lib Dem in Defence or someone like Liam Fox passed over (even if it was for Paddy Ashdown).

But it also make little sense for the Tories to give up the issues the Conservative leadership have used to rebrand the party – ie Development, Health and Climate Change. If a Con-Lib pact holds until the next election, then it would be self-defeating for the Tories if the party went to the 2015 polls having to argue that it was in fact rebranded – though it has had no responsibilty for any of the “softer” policy areas.

So that leaves jobs such as the Home Office, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Transport, Work and Pensions and Business. Nick Clegg could be Deputy PM and Home Secretary, Vince Cable as No 2 in the Treasury, perhaps Chris Hune at Transport, and David Laws at Pensions. It may also be a good idea to give the Lib Dems key Select Committee chairmanships – like the Joint National Security Committee.