Cabinet reshuffle leaves question marks over key departments - The Yorkshire Post says

One decision that was already made for him was that he would need to look for a new Defence Secretary. Frontline political careers usually end in failure but the way in which Ben Wallace has left the Ministry of Defence shows that while he may not have got everything right, his tenure was commendable.

Mr Wallace, who earlier this year announced that he was resigning from his post and also stepping down as an MP at the next general election, has arguably had the toughest assignment of any Defence Secretary in recent times.

He has played a crucial role in Britain’s response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. When it would have been easier to prevaricate in the face of mindless aggression, he ensured the country’s values were clear in the face of Vladimir Putin’s aggression.

The warning in his resignation letter that in the next decade “the world will get more insecure and more unstable” should make the PM and his successor think twice about what is required in terms of defence budgets going forward.

There are question marks over his successor’s ministerial track record. Grant Shapps has seemingly made a career for himself falling upwards. The fact that even some backbench Tories have been less than charitable about his appointment suggests that he is yet to convince that he has the political nous needed to serve as Defence Secretary.

Questions will also be asked of Claire Coutinho’s Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero. She was elected to Parliament in 2019 and is seen as a Rishi Sunak loyalist. The brief is one that is only going to grow in importance as the world continues to push towards net zero.