Mehdi's Morning Memo: Bottom Of The Class

The five things you need to know on Wednesday 16 July 2014...

1) BOTTOM OF THE CLASS

Well, when they said it'd be a major reshuffle they weren't kidding. A new foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, and a new defence secretary, Michael Fallon. Plus two new women cabinet ministers, Nicky Morgan at education and Liz Truss at environment. And the departure of big-hitters William Hague and Ken Clarke (the former via the stopgap post of Leader of the Commons). But the big news of the reshuffle, by a country mile, was the shock demotion of Cameron ally, friend and confidante Michael Gove, who goes from the full cabinet job of education secretary to the 'attending' cabinet post of chief whip. The morning papers agree.

"Going, going.. Gove" is the Guardian splash headline.

"Prime Minister sacrifices close friend Michael Gove" is on the front of the Telegraph.

"Gove axed from education" is the Times headline.

The Independent splashes on the prime minister's rather defensive quote about the former education secretary: "He hasn't been demoted!", but adding the following question in its standfirst: "So how do you explain Gove's 36,000 pay cut, Mr Cameron?"

It's worth reminding ourselves what a big deal this is. Only a few months ago, he was being touted as a future leadership contender and considered to be one of the most powerful and influential members of the cabinet. Then he fell out with Theresa May over extremism - and the latter, it seems, takes no prisoners.

It's especially remarkable given how the other self-styled radical reformer and deeply unpopular cabinet minister, Iain Duncan Smith, survived. Again. The Guardian's Patrick Wintour writes:

"Both men are passionate and sincere reformers, determined in their own way, to give greater opportunities for the poor. One, in his own terms, has succeeded, and done exactly what he and Cameron promised in the Conservative manifesto. He created academies, established free schools and imposed his no excuses culture in schools. Multiple eggs have been broken, but there is a recognisable omelette. The other has failed, leaving the Treasury, the National Audit Office and Major Projects Authority exasperated. Multiple eggs have been broken and they have largely been scraped off the kitchen floor. Yet it is Gove that has been demoted a state of affairs that says much about Cameron and the balance of forces inside the Conservative party."

Read more here:
Mehdi's Morning Memo: Bottom Of The Class