The background
David Cameron’s first Cabinet reshuffle since the Coalition took power has been greeted by plenty of outrage and indignation on micro-blogging Website Twitter.
There is a broad consensus that the government has taken a lurch to the right and a general feeling that some of the ministers have been crow-barred into new departmental positions for party political reasons rather than because of their particular suitability for the new job. The reshuffle of Jeremy Hunt from Culture, Media and Sport to Health has drawn the most sustained criticism. In more general terms, there are some key commentators who insist that the new-look Cabinet is too male, too white, and too posh.
The tweets
Just one of the MPs promoted in the reshuffle today went to a comprehensive. We’re all in this elitist nightmare together.
— Patrick Strudwick (@PatrickStrud) September 4, 2012
I am now further convinced that Cameron has no idea what he is doing.Jeremy Hunt will be even less popular with the NHS than Lansley.
— Jolyon Rubinstein (@JolyonRubs) September 4, 2012
Tory cabinet shuffle in UK means no non-white ministers for 1st time in some 15 years; Osborne booed at paralympics y’day at medal ceremony.
— Tamer Fakahany (@TamerFakahany) September 4, 2012
Hunt supports homeopathy; the premise that a symptom cures that symptom. When investigating News Corp, Hunt sought advice from News Corp.
— Noz (@BeardedGenius) September 4, 2012
Hunt smashed UK Film Council on a political whim, then left hapless Vaizey to pick up the pieces. The NHS – safe in his hands?
#beafraid— Adam Dawtrey (@AdamDawtrey) September 4, 2012
New Culture secretary Maria Miller has BSc in Economics and previously worked as marketing manager at Texaco. So a logical choice
— Arion McNicoll (@arionmcnicoll) September 4, 2012
So if Spelman, Gillan and Warsi are all out, that leaves two women at the top table (May and Greening). Great strides, Dave, great strides.
— Pippa Crerar (@PippaCrerar) September 4, 2012
So Maria Miller is the new Culture Secretary.A quick scan of her interests elicits no sign of anything cultural in her life.Oh dear.
— Sixteen Films (@SixteenFilms) September 4, 2012
I’m not sure a reshuffle could have upset people much more than this one has.
— Jonathan Haynes (@JonathanHaynes) September 4, 2012
To repeat: David Cameron, who promised to lead the ‘greenest government ever’, has appointed a climate skeptic as environment secretary
— Katharine Viner (@KathViner) September 4, 2012
Have I got this right? We’ve got Transport Sec who’s scared of flying, and an Environment Sec who’s a climate change sceptic
— Jason Beattie (@JBeattieMirror) September 4, 2012
Jeremy Hunt supports homeopathy, voted against abortion, & called for the NHS to be abolished. The new Health Secretary bit.ly/O8tBEA
— ben goldacre (@bengoldacre) September 4, 2012