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This reshuffle is about settling scores – the electorate deserves better than this needless turmoil

The prime minister is wasting talent by treasuring loyalty over experience, writes Janet Street-Porter

Friday 14 February 2020 18:53 GMT
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The first cabinet meeting after Boris Johnson's first full reshuffle
The first cabinet meeting after Boris Johnson's first full reshuffle

Having been publicly humiliated, Sajid Javid put on a top performance. In reality, the bloke was forced out of his job – but the former chancellor appeared smiley and gracious as he returned home without his ministerial red box, emerging to issue a brief statement.

Javid told us he’d quit in order to keep his self-respect, but in the real world of work, outside the Westminster goldfish bowl, this is known as constructive dismissal.

British democracy works in a brutal and wasteful fashion. Voters are continually being asked to consume less, to live within our means and to consider the environment – but the same rules don’t apply to the business of running the country, where human resources are treated with contempt. If government departments were factories laying people off in this fashion it would be leading the evening news.

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