Jon Ashworth: Theresa May’s cabinet is a raft of right-wing retreads

It’s strange times when the day of a major Government reshuffle feels like one of the less dramatic days in politics. Theresa May’s appointment as Prime Minister has been a series of betrayals, withdrawals and finally a coronation.  We’ve had careers buried whilst others have been resurrected.  In Boris Johnson’s case we’ve had both in the space of a few weeks.  From anyone’s point it’s been truly incredible political theatre.

Immediately, with her first statement Theresa May promised to be a “one nation” Prime Minister fighting against “burning injustice”.  But these warm words can’t cover up the fact that she is someone who has been at the very heart of a failing government for over six years.  The slew of Cabinet appointments feel very much like a blast from the past – nothing like the new-look cabinet that was speculated about, but a raft of right wing re-treads that are immediately out of kilter with May’s words on the steps of Downing Street yesterday.

The inclusion of the disgraced and incompetent former Defence Secretary Liam Fox – who oversaw a defence review so disastrous that it left us with hugely depleted military capabilities and the lowest army size since the 19th century – can’t fill anyone with hope that he will be able to strike beneficial trade deals for the UK across the globe.  He’s also previously called for NHS spending to be cut, opposed plans to increase foreign aid spending and has criticised gay marriage as “social engineering”.

David Davis, who famously resigned as an MP to fight himself in a by-election, is now in charge of our Brexit negotiations.  In the past he’s expressed concerns about the impact of paid maternity and paternity leave as well as action to deliver equal pay for women, criticised “green” targets for the environment and he thinks winter fuel payments for the elderly are “gimmicks”.  How can we expect someone with this record to defend the rights currently protected by the EU in our Brexit negotiations?

And what else can we say about Boris Johnson that hasn’t already been said? We now know there was no plan from the Leave campaign post-Brexit. We know he’s got form for saying things for political advantage – but now he has to pick up the pieces and be held accountable for his promises.  Despite pledging billions more the NHS during the referendum campaign he’s previously said he wants a different model of healthcare to the NHS, he wants to water down our employment rights and he wants to give millionaires more tax cuts.

I’ve barely scratched the surface on this reshuffle. We’ve also got a new International Development Secretary in Priti Patel, who actually wants to scrap the department she’s now in charge of; a new Environment Secretary, Andrea Leadsom, who wants to bring back fox hunting; and the abolition of the department specifically tasked with tackling the massive problem of climate change.

What is becoming quickly and abundantly clear is that this cabinet is clear shift to the right. It represents the huge chasm between her rhetoric of yesterday and the reality of her right-wing government.  May has rewarded the Brexiters, but those with a questionable record in the Tory Party now sit at the heart of Government.  The test now is to show that all members of the Government are committed to the laudable aims that Theresa May set out last night.  However if we are basing success on the appointments of the last 24 hours I think they’re off to a poor start.

Jonathan Ashworth is shadow Minister without Portfolio