tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post6137796175318208707..comments2024-03-20T12:03:26.126+00:00Comments on Thin Pinstriped Line: New MOD Ministers -initial thoughts on the reshuffleSir Humphreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704774192275240783noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-18525397369934630762012-09-09T21:17:04.314+01:002012-09-09T21:17:04.314+01:00SO2
Best put off any decisions un til the minister...SO2<br />Best put off any decisions un til the ministers are correctly briefed by the Sivil Service eh.<br />Wouldnt want the peoples representatives having a say...TrThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07316335177828136131noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-47206224080249735502012-09-06T16:50:34.507+01:002012-09-06T16:50:34.507+01:00I assume you mean Keith Speed, Navy Minister in th...I assume you mean Keith Speed, Navy Minister in the v early 80s who resigned after the Nott cuts. Author of the (very good IMO) book Sea Change.Not_a_Boffinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-73706755428800471452012-09-06T08:00:40.227+01:002012-09-06T08:00:40.227+01:00"...it does leave a hole in the MOD. Getting ..."...it does leave a hole in the MOD. Getting new Ministers in takes time – the new arrivals today will take six months to a year to be fully comfortable with their portfolio. It will not be easy to make tough decisions on defence matters when half the Ministerial team are still brand new to their posts. Its unlikely we’ll see any short term implications from these changes, but its worth bearing in mind the relative inexperience at the top of the department for the next few months, and the likely delays that this may cause as Ministers settle into their portfolios and bring themselves up to speed. Hopefully though there will be no longer term implications for the MOD."<br /><br />I'm not sure I agree - Robathan (Min (DPWV)) moves to being Min(AF), and he has experience both within MOD, and previous military service (incl SF). We've lost Peter Luff, who was a nice man, but one got the impression that he was very much CDM (Bernard Gray)'s man:<br /><br />As the commentator above noted,<br /><br />"Former defence equipment minister Peter Luff lost his ministerial role in the 4 September reshuffle along with former Armed Forces Minister Nick Harvey and former International Security Strategy Minister Gerald Howarth. Luff, who has announced he will not contest his Mid Worcestershire seat at the 2015 general election, is to be replaced as Defence Equipment, Support and Technology Minister by Ludlow MP Philip Dunne, a former investment banker and farmer. Luff told the Press Association he had decided to stand down some time ago in order to give the position to an MP who planned to remain in Parliament after 2015." www.defencemanagement.com/news_story.asp?id=20785<br /><br />DE&S may lose some influence on the Armed Forces Committee/Defence Management Board and it'll be interesting to see how this affects CDM's aspiration to become a GOCO, but within Main Building if indeed a Robathan's vacated post isn't being filled, then this is merely a contraction in line with Levene.SO2http://www.army.mod.uk/join/20201.aspxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-211407979995517952012-09-05T23:28:20.355+01:002012-09-05T23:28:20.355+01:00I believe Keith Swift, a defence minister in the 1...I believe Keith Swift, a defence minister in the 1980s was an RNR officerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-89996368667681886622012-09-05T13:49:07.727+01:002012-09-05T13:49:07.727+01:00Re: The Conspiracy Theory:
Defence Management repo...Re: The Conspiracy Theory:<br />Defence Management reports that:<br />"the Trident Alternatives Review to be overseen by David Laws"<br />http://www.defencemanagement.com/news_story.asp?id=20785<br />How do you interpret that?<br /><br />Also that Peter Luff has lost his post. Shame I liked him.<br /><br />Anthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07384593323102710174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-50317230178912119862012-09-04T23:05:21.925+01:002012-09-04T23:05:21.925+01:00Thanks Anonymous - I suspect there are plenty of d...Thanks Anonymous - I suspect there are plenty of deals within deals for this sort of reshuffle, but I'm still sure it won't do any harm for the lib Dems to be at a distance from Trident ahead of the next election.<br /><br />TD - Under Ministers have more influence than some think, but less than they perhaps want...Sir Humphreyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08704774192275240783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-57924576994369275952012-09-04T22:56:23.099+01:002012-09-04T22:56:23.099+01:00I do wonder though whether the 'under minister...I do wonder though whether the 'under ministers' in post actually have all that much influence one way or the other<br /><br />Think Defencehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14674093099627997373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-52986053447406011782012-09-04T22:40:56.257+01:002012-09-04T22:40:56.257+01:00The BBC were reporting earlier today that the loss...The BBC were reporting earlier today that the loss of Nick Harvey as a Lib Dem Minister in the MOD was a deliberate trade by Nick Clegg for a new Lib Dem Minister in DEFRA - which could make sense given the number of rural seats they have in the West Country. And I believe David Laws has been given the Lib Dem deterrent review baby as part of his wider portfolio outside Education.<br /><br />We could well be losing a Ministerial post. Levene recommended that we should, so this would be the logical time to do so.<br /><br />And despite their job titles, Robothan as was and Howarth were both paid as under secretaries of state, I think. So Andrew Dunne would seem to complete the set if we are indeed one down overall. The interesting thing will be to see how the responsibilites are divvied up. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com