Many Tories will be glad to see her back on the frontbench. But her new job will exercise a different set of political muscles from her past role.
Gavin Williamson is gifted, well-connected, successful – and not devoid of ambition. His former deputy is now Chief Whip. This is a controversial appointment.
If the Northern Irish Office is manifestly unwilling to move towards direct rule, it has no leverage against Ulster’s recalcitrant legislators.
Though if May moves Philip Hammond, or seeks to, she is also likely to move Boris Johnson, or try to.
All credit to her. She’s the first prime minister since Tony Blair to do one phone-in outside an election period. They always carry a slight risk for a politician.
Raab, Badenoch, Sunak, O’Brien, Eustice, Frazer and Tugendhat should all be more senior and more visible.
“We’re badly trailing in the polls. Corbyn’s up and you’re down. You hired me to get things done and tell you how I see it. Here goes.”
Riddle-me-ree: are Brexiteers taking over the Ministerial ranks, or are the whips taking over the Brexiteers?
Bringing this Vote Leave champion into government will calm Brexiteer nerves.
There are only five days to go until the start of the Brexit negotiations. May cannot afford to make a reshuffle mess of a department from which she has now lost two Ministers.
You would have to go back more than 20 years to find a time when fewer secretaries of state held northern constituencies.