New faces at the Cabinet Office

So we now know that Francis Maude has been followed by Oliver Letwin, a recognisable name

if not one from the recent front pages. the Rt. Hon Matthew Hancock as Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office, which will be overseen by Oliver Letwin.   I hardly expected George Osborne to decide he preferred the Cabinet Office to the Treasury.

Of course we have to wait to see Mr. Letwin's Mr. Hancock's priorities, but we do know from his past that he is keen to reduce bureaucracy and to drive down prices.  To be fair, I don't know of anyone who is in favour of the opposite.  He is reported to have said that suppliers need to feel a bit of fear in order for the public sector to get value and innovation: that sounds like a soundbite, and the interesting thing is what it would mean in practice.  The Public Contract Regulations 2015 are still bedding in, and the Cabinet Office will play a big role in how they are interpreted in the UK.

A potentially positive thing is that Mr. Letwin has been around the block a few times, and so should know how Whitehall operates, and hopefully will see this as a real and important role rather than a stepping stone to roles.

So, welcome and good luck.