Theresa May: The fainthearted Mrs. May

The new cabinet reshuffle shows Theresa Mays's half-hearted leadership style. The well-known figures remain. In the face of a strong Labour party, this is dangerous.

Theresa May: The fainthearted Mrs. May

British Prime Minister Theresa May has no happy hand. Not even in new year. She does not like to decide herself, can be jostling until orwise, and tries to make it right to many critics at same time. That does not work, and so British Government continues to lurches.

How half-hearted her leadership style is, shows recent cabinet reshuffle that dragged until Monday evening. The result was not very exciting. May did not dare to recast important ministerial posts. She came up against resistance when she wanted to assign a new ministry to Minister of Education Jeremy Hunt, who refused to change. May relented, Hunt remained on his post.

The important figures in Cabinet continue to do so: ruffled Boris Johnson will continue to provide for controversies in foreign policy, David Davis will continue to argue with Michel Barnier about Brexit, trade minister Liam Fox continues in vain on Free trade agreements with large wide world are waiting. Philip Hammond will also be Chancellor of Treasury and, as a proeuropean, to appease entrepreneurs and bankers. And interior Minister Amber Rudd continues to hope for future. The British Cabinet team consists of 22 members, and now y can argue toger for months about how Britain's relationship with EU should be. The reshuffle of cabinet was not a liberation blow, eir in one direction or or.

Brexit proponents are dissatisfied

The British tabloid press, as well as many Brexit proponents – also in Conservative Party – are dissatisfied. They had urged Theresa May to retrain cabinet to strengn side of hardliners in government. But y were disappointed again. That Theresa May throw Proeuropean Chancellor of Treasury Philip Hammond out of cabinet has not been an issue since botched election in June of last year. The fact that ultraconservative Jacob Rees-Mogg could ascend at Tory party congress was an illusion. He did not appear on list of new cabinet members and state secretaries.

By Tuesday evening, May had not set up a secretary of state for scenario of a no deal, as conservative daily The Telegraph had announced on morning of reshuffle. On contrary: May could have pushed one of most important cabinet posts to a Brexit trailer, but did not. She had to replace Damian Green, her close confidant and deputy. He had denied having uploaded pornographic material to his computer. Greens ' resignation was a blow for Theresa May. He forced m into current cabinet reshuffle. But she chose Europe-savvy David Lidington as minister for Cabinet Office. For six years he was secretary of State for Europe, EU and NATO, second most important post in Foreign Ministry. In summer of last year he became Minister of Justice. He voted in Brexit referendum on Britain's whereabouts in EU, as well as current economics minister, Greg Clark, and new Conservative Party leader, Brandon Lewis.

"Pale, consumes, masculine"

In end, however, May was not about Brexit. Your cabinet is standing, Brexit negotiations are underway and team is recorded. More importantly, it is perception of government in public, with electorate. The Financial Times complained that cabinet was now just as pale, stale and male as before: pale, consumed and masculine. In cabinet, needle strip manoeuvres, gaze firmly attached to ir own political career, dominates ir Brexit attitude between EU opponents and EU proponents fairly balanced. Anyone who inspects old and new photo of cabinet members can only be noticed that re is no representative of country's large ethnic minorities at Cabinet table except for minister of town of Sajid Javid. The women are clearly in minority. Thus, a government cannot claim to represent majority of population.

This is dangerous, especially with an opposition leader like Jeremy Corbyn. He speaks parts of society: young Voters, women, ethnic minorities. Therefore, on second day of her personnel decisions, Theresa May put it exactly on this topic: Irrespective of reshuffle of cabinet, she recalled six men and eight women into circle of state secretaries, five from ethnic minorities. Eleven of se parliamentarians were re-elected for first time 2015. They are young and should bring fresh wind. They are supposed to refresh image of a party of reactionary, Bony Little Englander. It is a generation that should not capture voters about boring speeches on party days, but via Twitter, social media.

Wher Theresa May succeeds in taking Labour Party and Jeremy Corbyn's wind out of sails has yet to show. But fear of a fledgling Labour party that could exploit dilemma of Brexit and weak government at latest in next election is great. It is so large that critics of Theresa May hold back in ir own ranks so as not to inflict furr damage. And so it is not even important that year for Theresa May with a bumpy cabinet reshuffle began unhappy.

Date Of Update: 10 January 2018, 12:02
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