Newslinks for Wednesday 23rd July 2025

Tory reshuffle reviews

“Kemi Badenoch has attempted to strengthen her position as Conservative leader by handing her former leadership rival a high-profile job taking on Angela Rayner. Sir James Cleverly, the former foreign secretary, was made shadow housing secretary and is likely to deputise for Badenoch at prime minister’s questions, after a nine-month spell on the backbenches. Badenoch promoted him to the shadow cabinet along with two MPs who backed Robert Jenrick in the Tory leadership contest — Neil O’Brien, who was given a new job of helping to rewrite party policy, and Richard Holden, the new shadow transport secretary. The moves were designed to shore up Badenoch by assembling what one senior Tory called a “team of rivals”, in reference to the administration put together by Abraham Lincoln. Cleverly’s return will see him take on Rayner, who is the communities, housing and local government secretary.” – The Times

• Cleverly returns to Tory front bench to take on Rayner – Daily Telegraph
• The real shock of the Tory reshuffle – The Spectator
• What Kemi Badenoch’s reshuffle says about the state of the Tories – The Times

Comment:

• No one has noticed the most important part of Kemi’s reshuffle – Paul Goodman, Daily Telegraph
• Kemi Badenoch’s Shadow Cabinet reshuffle was deliberately bland – Eliot Wilson, The i
• With her Tory reshuffle, what is Kemi Badenoch really up to? – John Rentoul, The Independent
• Kemi Badenoch’s “weak” and “delusional” reshuffle – Rachel Cunliffe, The New Statesman

> Yesterday: How Badenoch could go for a bold shadow cabinet reshuffle 

Tory defection gives Reform first seat in the Senedd

“Reform UK has its first representative in the Welsh Parliament after a defection from the Tories. On Tuesday afternoon, Nigel Farage, the Reform leader, announced that Laura Anne Jones, the current member for South Wales East, had switched allegiances. Speaking at a press conference at the Royal Welsh Show, he said: “I am delighted to say that today is a big step forward for Reform UK in Wales.” The defection came as Reform steps up its efforts to win power in Wales at the Senedd elections, scheduled to take place in May next year. Reform is aiming to end Labour’s 26 years of domination in Wales, and Mr Farage said his party was “going all out to win”.” – Daily Telegraph

• “She’s let the party down” says Laura Anne Jones’ former colleague – Abergavenny Chronicle
• ‘Wales is a complete mess’: Welsh Conservative Laura Anne Jones defects to Reform UK – LBC News
• Who is Laura Anne Jones, and why has she defected to Reform? – The i

Comment:

> Today: The Tories and Labour are ‘making plans for Nigel’ but only one might scupper ‘what’s best for him’

Doctors’ strikes to go ahead

“Wes Streeting has accused junior doctors of a “complete disdain for patients” after talks with the medics’ union collapsed. A five-day walkout will go ahead from Friday, in the first national strike by a healthcare union under a Labour Government since the winter of discontent in 1979. The British Medical Association (BMA) is pushing for pay increases of 29 per cent, having already secured such a boost under Labour. Officials had been locked in talks since last Thursday in an attempt to reach a deal to avert strike action by junior doctors, now known as resident doctors. But they descended into acrimony on Tuesday night. The leaders of the union’s resident doctors committee (RDC) said they had not received any “substantive proposal” to persuade them to call off walkouts.” – Daily Telegraph

• Five days of doctors’ strikes will go ahead, BMA confirms – The Times
• ‘Completely unprecedented’: resident doctors to press ahead with strike – The Guardian

Comment:

• I work in the NHS: the government cannot accept doctors’ pay demands – Druin Burch, The Spectator

> Today: John Redwood: To reverse national decline, government must be prepared to actually govern the state

News in brief:

• Could Reform be the party to fix our prisons? – Henry Hill, CapX
• Kemi Badenoch isn’t working – Will Lloyd, The New Statesman
• Politicians have patronised the public for decades – Ben Sixsmith, The Critic
• Tim Davie isn’t fit to lead the BBC – Hugh Thomson, The Spectator

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