The New Cabinet

Farmers set to make a lot of money selling land for fracking here in the NW. I know one who has already done it for testing. I am worried, Leadsome supports farmers not the environment. It's a serious issue in my area. I have a feeling she won't care about the North.

From the Independent - a map of all the countries Boris has insulted!
Some of them are pretty good at insults themselves! eg Australia

See Mummy Leadsom has rural affairs
With a bit of luck, she'll be kept busy visiting County Shows
All those lovely little lambs, calves and kids (the goaty kind )

Anya every cloud
Or in this case every silver lining has a cloud (the corn cockle).

What will she do to help people in flood areas I'm wondering.

Suggest they set up a sailing club?

I think the PM has been quite clever. Every Brexit supporter in the Cabinet has been given a remit that includes an element connected with the repercussions of leaving the EU. It definitely smacks of letting them get on with it. This might seem like a risky approach, but with no viable opposition party, I think Theresa May is playing the long game. Commentators are saying the sacked ministers could cause trouble behind the scenes, especially as the government only has a small majority. I can see Osborne and Gove doing something like that. My main concern right now is what Hammond will make of the economy and if Green will change the plans for cutting benefits.

I am confused though why she left Hunt in charge of the NHS. I can only think she's given him strict instructions on what needs to happen in the immediate future.

I was appalled to see Hunt still in charge of the NHS. I can only assume she's said "you've produced this mess, you sort it out"

David Davis has been spouting rubbish about how the negotiations will be completed. Being derided. Does not take a degree in economics to know for instance that trade negotiations can't be completed in 12-24 months.
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/david-davis-who-is-minister-for-brexit-theresa-may-new-cabinet-a7135431.html

Did you see the picture and listen to the broadcast about Phil Hammond by Richard Madeley?

Hammond has denied that he was a goth at school and said he was reading the Financial Times not the Guardian.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p041dy2l

politicalscrapbook.net/2016/07/watch-theresa-may-gets-her-speech-turned-into-brilliant-fresh-prince-of-bel-air-rap/

Boris is what I'd call a wild card. I hope with all my heart he confounds us all - and his opposite numbers around the world, and makes a success of it. The Russians will like his first name at least.
David Davis was the Brexiter who most impressed me during the campaign - even though I voted to remain. He is a sound choice I think. I hope he gets on with Boris.
Philip Hammond inspires more confidence than Osborne. However, my daughter told me that GO had advised Cameron not to have a referendum.

This isn't going to be a popular point of view, but the latest antics from the junior doctors, rejecting by a slim majority an agreement which has been thrashed out with the BMA, does perhaps lend some credence to Hunt's earlier suggestion that they were not willing t meet him half way. All this talk about 'patient safety' when asked to cover weekend shifts, is starting to look more like greed. Junior doctors these days have it far, far easier than their predecessors. So perhaps it need Hunt to face them down.

As far as Boris goes, his parliamentary colleagues see him as an intelligent man, and dispute his buffoonery, I see no reason to underestimate him.

It's no use giving extra funding to the NHS if it is immediately swallowed up again by wage increases. The extra money needs to go into improving services by hiring more staff, not paying the existing ones more.

It's not a dispute about money Anya. It's a dispute about Hunt and Osborne getting into their noddles that we need a 24/7 NHS. Their opinion is based on a rumour that hospitals are more dangerous at weekends. This is not backed up by any reliable research. Let alone any research that there is a problem caused by lack of junior hospital doctors at weekends.
Everyone knows that "junior" hospital doctors are one of the groups that do cover weekends in all the acute areas where they are needed. Hunt is trying to insist that all doctors work in this way. He is picking on the one group that least needs to be interfered with.
Which raises the question, why pick a fight with them in the first place? Is it because he is scientifically illiterate and ignorant of the way NHS hospitals operate? Or is it part of a concerted attack on the NHS designed to undermine it and so boost the fortunes of private healthcare companies?

So what's wrong with wanting a 24/7 NHS? Our local Tesco is open 24/7 and that's only a shop.

And it's more than a rumour that hospitals are under-manned at weekends.

And their own union rep. in these talks has resigned. You can't lay all the blame on Hunt.

And of course it's about money....it always is.

Of course it's about money! hospitals ARE more dangerous at weekends, I have first hand knowledge of this( I know, it's 'anecdotal' but I was shocked all the same when it happened.)
The junior doctors need to call off this long running dispute, presumably it's the more militant among them who won't.

I also think this attitude of 'Theresa May has given Brexiters top jobs in order to let them get on with it then! ' is ridiculous.She has chosen a good mix of people from Leave and Remain, and will have chosen them for their abilities, those who voted to Leave are enthusiastic and those who voted Remain will also do their best for a good outcome for our country ( and for themselves) and don't forget, even those MP's in the Tory Party who voted Remain, may have done so reluctantly.It seems a childish view that May has appointed anyone for anything other than faith in their abilities to do a good job.

There is of course that well-known ancient proverb (Persian?) that
"It is better to keep your enemies inside the tent pissing out, than outside the tent pissing in"

Anya there has long been a feeling that more consultant cover would be a good thing at weekends and might save lives.
I'm sorry you experienced a problem but as you say - anecdotal - and these can crop up on all days. (As happened to a friend's daughter only last week - given v dangerous wrong drug dosage after tonsillectomy) For instance on surgical wards the consultants and registrars could all be in theatre, leaving the wards covered by newly qualified medical staff.
The point is that if a Sec of State is going to pick a fight with one of the most crucial, and well educated parts of his workforce, he should have good evidence to base it on - or he is going to lose the argument. Not fair to brand them as grasping and "militant" - they did not start this. If they have become "militant" then Hunt has made them so.

Johnson is in Brussels on Monday. I fervently hope he behaves like a grownup and leave his celebrity and brash behaviour at home. I am not at all convinced that he is a sensible choice.

Isn't that a quote from 'Carry On Camping' Daphne?

Thoroughly agree with Anya and roses about the junior doctors/Jeremy Hunt thing. Was beginning to think it was only me.

I would hope May has appointed people because she has faith in their abilities to do a good job. However, it can't be a coincidence that she has given three prominent Brexiters the job of sorting out our exit. Presumably she thinks they're most committed to leaving and they will be accountable for what they do. If she had given those jobs to Remainers, they would always have been at risk of being accused of not trying hard enough. It will be interesting to see what kind of job Johnson does - it will make or break him and I bet May knows that.