Shapps appointment prompts widespread bafflement

A busy day at Number 10, where the Prime Minister conducted a mini-reshuffle of the cabinet and brought in new advisors. All with the aim of beefing up Team Sunak ahead of parliament’s return next week and a looming general  election where the Tories are miles behind in the polls

The most notable appointment of the day was Grant Shapps as the new defence secretary. His appointment has raised eyebrows in military circles and among Tory MPs. Until now, Shapps does not seem to have shown much, if any, interest in defence or geopolitics. He had better be a quick learner, considering there is a war on.  

The former energy secretary said he was honoured to be appointed: “As I get to work at DefenceHQ, I am looking forward to working with the brave men and women of our Armed Forces who defend our nation’s security. And continuing the UK’s support for Ukraine in their fight against Putin’s barbaric invasion.”

He also thanked the outgoing defence secretary: “I’d like to pay tribute to the enormous contribution Ben Wallace has made to UK defence and global security over the last 4 years.”

Replacing Shapps and joining the cabinet as the new energy secretary is Claire Coutinho. This is an interesting appointment. The former children’s minister is a rising star, tipped as a potential future leader by some Tory insiders. David Johnston MP will take over for her in the Department of Education. 

Sunak chose Coutinho and Shapps because of their loyal support to his cause. Shapps pulled out of last year’s Tory leadership race and backed Sunak’s initially unsuccessful campaign. 

Penny Mordaunt, the leader of the House of Commons, was supportive of Shapps’s appointment saying he would do “a great job”.

All day rumours swirled. Mordaunt, it was claimed, had demanded the post herself. John Glen MP, chief secretary to the Treasury, and a key Sunak supporter, had gained the impression he would get the post, according to friends. Jeremy Quin MP, paymaster general, had been tipped because he knew the MoD well from his time in the department. 

Shapps beat them all to it.

Why? There is some bafflement about the decision. Although the new defence secretary has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine, even hosting a Ukrainian family in his Hertfordshire home as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme, his appointment is a surprise, to put it politely.

Ben Wallace was respected for his time spent as a captain in the Scots Guards, and before moving to the MoD he was security minister. Shapps boasts no military experience, and has never shown an interest.

There is another oddity. Shapps is now in his fifth Cabinet post in less than a year. He has been transport secretary, then home secretary, business, energy, and now defence.  

In contrast, Wallace’s recent career has been stable. He remained in his post during one of the Conservative party’s most chaotic periods.

Shapps’s elevation may come down to simple party management and the pivotal role he played in the removal of Liz Truss as PM. He was one of two MPs – Michael Gove was the other – who ran the numbers, in terms of getting what was needed on the backbenches to defenestrate Truss. Sunak owes Shapps.

Former chief of the general staff of the British Army, Lord Dannatt, told Sky News that the new defence secretary knows “very little about defence” and that it would take him “quite some time to get up to speed.”

Labour’s shadow defence secretary John Healey was quick to congratulate Shapps but said: “After 13 years of Tory defence failures, a change at the top will not change this record.”

Today wasn’t all about defence. Behind the scenes, Sunak made some important changes to his team in Number 10. He has brought in Jamie Njoku-Goodwin, UK Music chief executive and a former aide to Matt Hancock, as his director of strategy. Also coming into the Number 10 political office is Adam Atashzai, a former special advisor to David Cameron. 

With parliament’s return next week, Sunak will be hoping these changes help him make a strong start to the new term and turn around that Labour poll lead. Sceptics will say he shouldn’t hold his breath.

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