Theresa May’s allies urge her to delay holding Cabinet reshuffle to May after ending year on unexpected high
PM widely-expected to freshen up her ageing top team with four or five new faces at the start of the New Year
THERESA May’s allies are urging her to delay a government reshuffle to May after her surprise end to the year on a high.
The Prime Minister has been widely expected to freshen up her ageing Cabinet with four or five new faces at the start of the New Year.
She has also privately caved to backbench pressure to promote more younger Tory MP rising stars onto the frontbench for the first time.
But the unexpected upturn in the troubled PM’s fortunes by securing Phase Two of Brexit talks has lead to a rethink among some in No10.
Mrs May’s aides are split over whether to now carry out the reshuffle after the council elections in May instead, when a wipeout in the cities is feared.
Holding on another five months would also help keep ministers in line over the crucial internal deliberations until March over what exactly to ask the EU for in a Brexit trade deal.
One close ally of Mrs May told The Sun: “A reshuffle is not a card any PM can play too often, so you should only do one when you really have to.
“They have a habit of creating more problems than they solve, so there is a growing feeling not to rock the boat now Theresa is looking more solid.
“We will also get an undoubted kicking at the locals in May, so we’ll need something to regain the initiative after them.”
Next year’s local elections on Thursday May 3 are largely being held only in the bigger towns and cities, including all 32 London boroughs.
The Tories suffered heavy losses in the urban areas at the June general election and senior party figures fear a repeat drubbing, leaving the poll’s aftermath a moment of certain danger for Mrs May.
The PM will decide on when to hold the second reshuffle of her reign as PM over the Christmas break.
First Secretary Damian Green ongoing sexual harassment probe is also a key factor in her thinking, The Sun has been told.
Mrs May wants her de facto deputy’s precarious situation to be resolved first so she knows whether he needs to be replaced.
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Veteran Tory party chairman Patrick McLoughlin is one of several ‘old guard’ Cabinet ministers who face the sack in the long-planned reshuffle to free up space for younger blood.
Education Secretary Justine Greening, Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire and Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom are also said to be vulnerable after disappointing No10.
Mid-ranking ministers tipped for a Cabinet promotion include universities boss Jo Johnson, justice minister Dominic Raab and security chief Ben Wallace.
Among the younger rising stars tipped for promotion into the government are backbench MPs Tom Tugendhat, Seema Kennedy, Johnny Mercer, Nigel Huddleston and Kemi Badenoch.