If a cabinet minister intends to resign, it might be wise not to announce the news of their departure on the day of the government’s “relaunch“. But that’s exactly what Downing Street has done. It emerged earlier today that Lord Strathclyde, who has sat on the Conservative frontbench for 25 years, has resigned as leader of the House of Lords. Given that David Cameron was informed of Strathclyde’s intentions over the new year, it’s surprising that the announcement was not made earlier (or later).
Amusingly, Strathclyde’s replacement is Lord Hill, the Tory education minister who infamously tried – and failed – to resign at the last reshuffle after a distracted Cameron simply told him to “carry on the good work”. In a memorable passage in his conference speech, Ed Miliband cited the affair as further evidence of the Prime Minister’s incompetence.
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