Shadow cabinet reshuffles are perhaps the clearest sign of the indignity of Opposition in Westminster. When a PM moves their team, the newscasters watch on with bated breath, ready to analyze every move. Meanwhile, if the Leader of the Opposition changes their team, the story might just sneak into the top three headlines of the day — especially given how forgettable the current front bench has been.

In the eight months since Kemi Badenoch became leader, few members of her shadow cabinet have really broken into the public consciousness. Only the most obsessive followers of Westminster would have been able to name Edward Agar, who has stood down from the health brief because of health concerns. Indeed, the only one to really make a mark has been Robert Jenrick, whose slick videos point to an ambition that goes beyond his current position as shadow justice secretary.

The latest changes are clearly intended to address this, but they also highlight the problems still plaguing the Tories. The most significant move is the return of James Cleverly as shadow housing secretary. He brings some pedigree to the front bench and shores up the support of the more moderate wing of the party. The move, however, is a reminder that the party still relies heavily on those figures from its 14 years in power, and the baggage they carry. The new figures will need time to grow into their roles, leaving the front bench looking much like it did during the Conservatives’ time in government.

The hope among Tories is that the trade-off is adding some energy. Cleverly has been an active outside voice since returning to the backbenches. He also has a good feel for the party and its members. Putting him in charge of housing makes Cleverly central to how the Conservatives engage with government policy. This role will be key in determining whether they succumb to Nimby tendencies or make a play for younger voters by challenging Labour to deliver more homes. It also appears to be a move towards the center ground of the party.

That there’s a reshuffle at all right now shows the struggles the Tories have been facing. Badenoch once promised that her first front bench would remain in place until the next election — and it feels like more than just Agar’s stepping down that has prompted this change. The party has gone backwards since its “rock-bottom” performance in last year’s election, losing not just swathes of voters, but also prominent figures to Reform. Just yesterday, Laura Anne Jones became the first Member of the Senedd to defect from the Conservatives to Nigel Farage’s party.

Badenoch had intended for the rebuild to be measured and thoughtful, rather than knee-jerk. Yet events are overtaking this approach. The Labour government has floundered more quickly than anyone thought likely, but this has largely been to Reform’s benefit. Instead of climbing back from a distant second in the polls, the Conservatives are fighting to avoid a fall to fourth. Something radical needs to change for them to arrest this.

A reshuffle might not be enough. The party is still struggling to shed the issues of the last 14 years. Bringing back one of the leading figures from that era hardly helps shed that legacy. It points to the lack of options within the Conservatives and the challenges they are facing in producing new answers. Still, there is a sign they are trying something. Opposition reshuffles rarely set the world alight, but they point towards a party that is not giving up yet.

---

John Oxley is a corporate strategist and political commentator. His Substack is Joxley Writes.

Mr_John_Oxley

---