Ian Birrell’s piece last week last week floating a Grand Conservative-Labour Coalition after the next election is clearly the shape of things to come. Here are the appointments in full –
Prime Minister: David Cameron/Ed Miliband* JOBSHARE
Foreign Secretary: Philip Hammond.
Home Secretary: Harriet Harman.
Chancellor of the Exchequer: Andy Burnham/George Osborne JOBSHARE
Defence Secretary: Theresa May.
Health Secretary: Tom Watson.
Business Secretary: Liam Fox/Yvette Cooper JOBSHARE
Justice Secretary: Chris Grayling.
Work and Pensions Secretary: Rachel Reeves.
Education Secretary: Michael Gove.
Transport Secretary: Chuka Umanna.
Environment and Climate Change Secretary: Elizabeth Truss.
International Development Secretary: Angela Eagle.
Communities Secretary: Sajid Javid.
Scottish Secretary: Douglas Alexander.
Welsh Secretary: Stephen Crabb.
Culture Secretary: Emily Thornberry.
Northern Ireland Secretary: Theresa Villiers.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury: Ed Balls.
–
Also attend:
Leader of the Commons: Tristemery Hunt+
Leader of the Lords: Jan Royall/Tina Stowell JOBSHARE
Cabinet Office: Nicky Morgan.
Attorney General: Sadiq Khan.
Financial Secretary: Ken Clarke.
Minister without Portfolio: Jon Cruddas.
Chief Whip: Eric Pickles/Rosie Winterton JOBSHARE
–
Footnote: The Cabinet remains within its statutory limit for paid and unpaid Ministers. The number of Ministers from each Coalition partner party is equal. To help achieve this purpose, Environment and Climate Change have been merged.
The Prime Ministerial jobshare and other appointments represent the principle of Equality at the heart of the new Government. To help satisfy the Parliamentary parties concerned, further jobshare arrangements have been agreed for the two main economic portfolios.
–
+ In the interests of economy, two people have been merged into a single person to occupy a post. This is believed to be a first in political history.
–
*Unpaid.