In contrast to Margaret Thatcher, who chose to be surrounded by an all-male Cabinet for nearly her entire time in Downing Street, sources close to May say that she is determined to put into effect a long held belief that there should be a better gender balance at the top end of the government.
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In her first appointment as Prime Minister, Theresa May promoted the former Foreign Secretary to the job he has always been tipped to want.
Hammond is betting firms’ favorite to take his place, ahead of Business Secretary Sajid Javid and Chris Grayling, who is Leader of the House of Commons.
His tenure as Foreign Secretary since 2014 has been dominated by the Ukraine crisis, Syria’s civil war and negotiations that led previous year to a six-power agreement with Iran to scale back its nuclear program.
Johnson from the IFS said the finance ministry was likely to play a key role in Britain’s attempts to retain access to the EU’s single market in the years of negotiations over its new relationship with the bloc that probably lie ahead.
The Treasury has always been his goal, and he is understood to have been disappointed to miss out on the number two job there in 2010 when the necessities of coalition gave Liberal Democrats the Chief Secretary’s post – a role he had shadowed for three years in opposition. “The RT Hon George Osborne MP has resigned from Government”, the statement said.
Hammond, who campaigned for Britain to stay in the European Union, once acknowledged that broadcasters referred to him ironically as ” Box Office Phil” because he rarely made headlines.
Without Europe and global trade the scope for him to get into mischief is limited, although journalists are already having fun trawling through his extensive journalism to find examples of his being rude to foreigners.
A remarkable comeback for the career of Davis, destroyed by an impetuous and quixotic resignation as shadow Home Secretary to fight a by-election on a point of principle that no one can remember.
She said her party – as the Conservative and Unionist Party – believed in a union between all of the citizens, no matter where they were from.
The 54-year-old has previously held a string of senior positions in government.
The very definition of a safe pair of hands, Michael Fallon is also known as the “Minister for the Today programme” such is his composure in front of the media.
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However, he may be prevented from cutting spending, or raising taxes too aggressively by Prime Minister Theresa May.
