Tom Richmond: Theresa May must follow Geoff Boycott's example and play the long game when it comes to reshuffle

It’s good advice as the Prime Minister contemplates a Ministerial reshuffle following the enforced resignation of her de facto deputy Damian Green, only weeks after the downfalls of Sir Michael Fallon and Priti Patel.

Though Mr Green’s stewardship of various cabinet committees, and other roles, need to be reassigned, Mrs May would be ill-advised to undertake change for change’s sake in an attempt to dispel the view that this is a weak government headed by an even weaker prime minister.

What are her priorities? On the domestic front, Mrs May has indicated that housing and social care need urgent reform. She needs to decide her objectives – and how to achieve them.

Then she should consider who is best qualified for the roles in question – and whether they have the management skills and know-how to overhaul the country’s creaking public services. Promoting an individual because a political favour is owed, or on a whim, is not the way forward – the recruitment process needs to be a robust one.

Then Mrs May needs to ask if the candidates in question can communicate. Fair play to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt for turning up for his inquisition with Jon Snow on Channel Four News this week – he went up in my estimation for doing so despite the NHS being in a state of crisis. Others, like Justice Minister Dominic Raab and Esther McVey, the Deputy Chief Whip, are thoughtful individuals whose skills of persuasion are under-utilised.

And then there’s Brexit. At the start of a critical year, Mrs May needs to be totally confident that she has the right team to preside over Britain’s departure from the European Union – the rapprochement between Chancellor Philip Hammond and Brexit Secretary David Davis helps – and the right Downing Street structures in place to see this exercise through.

In short, the Prime Minister needs to be methodical and cautious – just like Geoffrey Boycott – before she makes any move. For, unless any shake-up improves the country’s governance at this criticial time, what’s the point or the purpose?

EVEN though it is Theresa May’s reputation now on the line over Brexit, her predecessor David Cameron – and his right hand man George Osborne – do not deserve to escape censure.

Only on reading Tim Shipman’s compelling book Fall Out: A Year Of Political Mayhem on the first year of the May government does it become apparent that the Whitehall machinery was simply not prepared for Britain voting to leave the EU in June 2016.

That said, I’m not encouraged by this week’s revelation that the average age of staff in the Brexit department is just 31 – I would have thought that the country needs all the experience possible when it comes to talks with the EU and trade negotiations rather than leaving it to the young and wet-behind-the-ears tyros.

BREXIT Secretary David Davis isn’t afraid to take political prisoners. The problem is that they appear to be his own Cabinet colleagues.

According to Tim Shipman, the Haltemprice and Howden MP demanded use of the Prime Minister’s own aircraft for meetings with EU counterparts.

When officials suggested he travelled, like them, by EasyJet, he announced he would not undertake the trips unless he got his own way. No wonder he regards himself as the ‘real’ Foreign Secretary...

UNDERSTANDABLY, given her past and present jobs, Theresa May is particularly security conscious, as revealed by an exchange between the Prime Minister and one of her aides over clothes, also revealed in the Shipman blockbuster.

Asked about her own retail habits during some general chit-chat, the Prime Minister replied: “I’m the former Home Secretary, of course I don’t shop online.”

TRANSPORT Secretary Chris ‘Failing’ Grayling says he was in Qatar trying “win business for Britain” when the New Year fare increases on the railways took effect on Tuesday.

Yet what does it say about Mr Grayling, and the calibre of his media team, that they didn’t foresee the storm sparked by the Macavity-like Minister’s absence?

And, most telling of all, why were none of the Transport Secretary’s many deputies prepared to defend the ticket hike – and their boss – in public? Their silence was deafening.

WITH the London-based national media realising, belatedly, that Chris Grayling does not deserve a free ride when it comes to transport policy, perhaps they will now join this newspaper in fighting for fair funding for the North and ensure that high-speed links between the region’s great cities should take precedence over Crossrail 2 in the capital.

A New year and a raft of new jobs at West Yorkshire Combined Authority. Let’s hope the new Contract & Framework Manager – salary £38,443 - £44,512 per annum – ends the executive coaching that £172,000 managing director Ben Still, and his top team, receive. On their pay, they should be the best in the business.

And what about the recently advertised Senior Projects Manager Rail – salary in the region of £40,000 – to “oversee the delivery of four potential new stations at Thorpe Park, Millshaw, North Leeds and Elland”. Not only are these “potential” plans, but isn’t there someone already in employment at Network Rail, or one of the local councils, who could plan a few parking spaces and ticket machines? It’s only as difficult as officials allow it to be.

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