The latest Cabinet league table is shown above. Here are some brief observations:
- Bad tidings. Our respondents aren’t feeling particularly generous as Christmas approaches. Most ministers’ ratings have fallen since last month. Even the man who holds the top spot for the second month in a row, Iain Duncan Smith, has seen his rating drop by 5.4 points.
- Gove’s decline. The most startling fall, however, is Michael Gove’s. A month ago, he was second in the table with an approval rating of 79. Now, he’s ninth with a rating of 59.5. I suspect this has something to do with his diminished visibility since being moved from Education.
- The rise of Javid… Someone who has resisted the seasonal gravity is Sajid Javid. He’s risen 5.9 points and four places overall. In fact, this is the first time he’s been in the top five since July. Is this because, as Paul Goodman recently described, he’s been diligently getting on with his job? Or is it because of his impressive forays outside of his brief?
- …and of Osborne? The Chancellor’s rise is more ambiguous than Javid’s. He’s climbed one place into second, but with an approval rating that’s six points lower than the one he scored last month. Still, coupled with our polling on the Autumn Statement, it’s another sign that Osborne is well-liked by the grassroots.
- Boris vs May. There’s always been a funny disconnection between the Cabinet league table and our leadership polling. Theresa May, who came out comfortably on top of the latter, occupies sixth place in the latter. Meanwhile, Boris’s approval rating as London Mayor exceeds any Cabinet minister’s.