Osborne in freefall. Last October, George Osborne had been top of our Cabinet League Table for six months in a row. Then the tax credits row dragged him down several places. Then the news of Google’s tax deal. Then the decline of every minister who is campaigning for Remain. And now the storm over Personal Independence Payments – which has brought him to the very bottom of the table, with a satisfaction rating that is even lower than Lord Feldman’s. The period after the Conservatives’ general election victory has brought sorrow, not joy, for one of its architects.
Oh no, BoJo. Osborne isn’t the only one with downwards momentum. In the space of three months, Boris has gone from a rating of 74.4 to one of 44.0, the lowest he has ever scored. Quite clearly, the Mayor of London’s support for Brexit hasn’t benefited him how it has benefited others in our table. Perhaps party members see more politics than principle in his actions.
Europe or schools? And there’s also Nicky Morgan, who has shed 24.6 points and nine places since last month. Why so? Her speech in defence of the European Union could be part of it, but the Government’s new academies policy could be too. Making every school an academy is too much even for (some of) those who cheered on Michael Gove during the last Parliament.
Energy crisis. Is there a Tata Effect? Sajid Javid’s rating is practically unchanged since last month, but Amber Rudd’s has declined by 19.1 points. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Energy Secretary is copping the flak for the green policies that some observers blame for what’s happening in Port Talbot.
The brilliant exception. Just like last month, the Cabinet’s Brexiteers – now minus one Iain Duncan Smith – occupy the top spots in the table. But there’s one Remainer, in particular, who is thriving despite it all: Ruth Davidson. Her satisfaction rating has risen by 6.6 points since last month, and is now surpassed only by Gove’s. Party members seem to realise that Scotland requires a different type of Tory – and that Davidson is the business. Note also that her friend and ally Stephen Crabb is the highest-scoring Cabinet Remainer in our table.