If you feel the airwaves are unusually quiet of even Conservative MPs (never mind ministers) consider this...
I ran into a well known Tory MP and PM ally today, someone it’s fair to say most people wouldn’t consider a natural minister. Half jokingly I asked if they were looking forward to the reshuffle. Deadly serious they replied: “I shall be v disappointed not to receive a phone call.”
Conservative MPs are on tenterhooks for the reshuffle. All Tory politics is in stasis til then. There are now lots of Tory MPs and the same number of jobs. No one wants to do anything to rock the boat and have a mark against their name by the whips.
Come February, there could be a lot of disappointed Tories, especially potentially form ERG. Genuine dilemma for the PM: does he bring them in, given they’ve been his power base, even those who might not cut it in govt, or is he now powerful enough to leave them out in the cold?
