Two predecessors PENCILLED IN for PIVOTAL roles
Likely choices for Cabinet posts outlined
Published:
David Cameron has given his clearest indication yet of who will serve in his Cabinet if the Tories win power at the general election next year.
The Tory leader punctuated his 57-minute end-of-conference speech with specific references of those he expected to put the party’s policies into practice.
Included among them was former leader Iain Duncan Smith, who, Mr Cameron announced, would take responsibility for “bringing together all our work to help mend the broken society”.
He paid tribute to his “courage in standing up for those least able to stand up for themselves”.
Elsewhere, shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley’s key role in reforming the NHS and “giving it back to the people” was spotlighted.
Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling and shadow justice secretary Dominic Grieve would “reform the police, reform the courts, reform prisons” and provide better protection for the public.
On defence, Mr Cameron said instead of a “revolving door” at the ministry, with a “second-rate substitute in charge”, the country needed a “politician from the front rank” – Liam Fox.
Shadow business secretary Ken Clarke also appeared to be pencilled in for the key enterprise role now filled by Lord Mandelson.
And on the key issue of welfare reform, Mr Cameron said: “We’ve got to turn it around and with (shadow work and pensions secretary) Theresa May and (welfare advisor) David Freud in charge, we will.”
Another former Tory leader was hailed as “the man who will be our new British foreign secretary – William Hague”.
Shadow chancellor George Osborne also won plaudits for his “magnificent” conference speech and “winning the argument” on the economy “in these difficult times” – although there was no specific mention of a future role as chancellor.
