Rating the shadow cabinet

The ConservativeHome Members' Panel rates the performance of ten shadow cabinet ministers every month: David Davis, Liam Fox, William Hague, Andrew Lansley, Oliver Letwin, Francis Maude and Theresa May, George Osborne, Caroline Spelman and David Willetts.

In the last few days a few people have emailed me to suggest that other members of David Cameron's top team are rated, too.  Alan Duncan, for example.  I've limited it to ten up until now as I didn't want to ask people too many questions every month.  What do people think?  More people rated every month or ten people rated one month and a different ten the next?

LIST AND PHOTOGRAPHS OF WHOLE SHADOW CABINET.

Comments

[Scotty]

Alan Duncan and Chris Grayling should both be added to the list as I think that they will at times enjoy quite a high profile in Westminster, the media, and at ConHom

[Tam Large]

I agree with Scotty. Why not just make it 12?

[Og]

You could drop T May from the monthly assessment and very few would write to complain.

Dropping F Maude and O Letwin from monthly assessment might be seen as an act of kindness.

[seriously]

Why is, that Bumptious Twerp (as Matthew D'Ancona memorably described him) aka Alan Duncan... actually in the shadow cabinet?

[HF]

I would rather have the shadow cab ratings replaced by "how are we doing on specific issues". It probably needs to be about 20 items. In most cases that would align to a specific portfolio but it would remove some of the personal attacks and give more helpful feedback. For example take Francis Maude. Is the problem him or some of the aspects he owns? Is it Candidate selection, or Campaign expertise or CCHQ organisation that are the main greviances or our MEPs?

Is William Hague's rating driven by Europe or Iraq?

Why not try it as an extra survey first?

[Very seriously]

Seriously asks why is Alan Duncan in the Shadow Cabinet. Well that’s obvious; he’s there as part minority group that reflects modern Britain i.e. he uses fake tan.

[Henry Rogers]

Lighten up, 'seriously' and 'very seriously'! Alan Duncan is always fun to listen to on TV and what he says is no more ridiculous than the contributions of a quite few solemn politicians.

[VeryVerySeriously]

I find Laurel and Hardy fun - perhaps the A list should be made up of people more like them.

[Daniel VA]

"I find Laurel and Hardy fun - perhaps the A list should be made up of people more like them."

I understand they're otherwise engaged advising Nick Clegg on the Liberal Democrats' home affairs policies.

[Daniel VA]

Back to the question at hand, I would actually cut the number of shadow cabinet members rated.

The lack of media exposure for Willetts, Spelman, May, Lansley and Fox makes it difficult sometimes to deliver an honest rating of their performance rather than an expression of personal opinion of the individual concerned.

[Modern Conservative]

Daniel VA makes a fair point. How many of us can make an honest assessment of most Shadow Cabinet members on a month to month basis. Apart from the big 4 jobs (Chairman, Shadow Home Secretary, Shadow Chancellor and Shadow Foreign Secretary) opportunities to get in the media in way which most Conservative Home readers will notice is inconsistent and often nonexistent. I don't blame the Shadow Cabinet it's just the way it is.

Take Theresa May as an example. Shadow Leader of the House is an important job if you are in the Westminster Village but unless we are avid Parliament Channel watchers what exactly are the rest of us suppose to base our assesment on?

Caroline Spelman is also a good example her role isn't a high profile one so every month I either guess or end up ticking don't know.

[Deborah]

You could drop T May from the monthly assessment and very few would write to complain.

Is Teresa May still around? I thought she'd left months ago.......

[VeryVeryVerySeriously]

Teresa May is in fact Stan Laurel

[Andrew Woodman]

'Is Teresa May still around? I thought she'd left months ago.....'

She pops up now and again to tell us we need more women like her!!

[Chris Palmer]

Daniel, Laurel and Hardy were funny though...

[Daniel VA]

"Daniel, Laurel and Hardy were funny though..."

Well, the Liberal Democrats' home affairs policy often have me crying in disbelief too.

[Henry Rogers]

OK, 'Solemn' wins and lighthearted politicians get the thumbs down. Trouble is, many people who could be voting aren't necessarily as dedicated to to politics as people who post here. If they are confronted with boring politicians they may not turn out on election days. And I'm sure all of us would like as many people as possible to get out and vote even if they happen to disagree with us. So, don't knock Alan Duncan or Boris, or any of the less than solemn people on both sides of the House who make politicians look like human beings. Human beings may be fallible but they've got more going for them than the 'speak your weight' machines, in the production of which Britain seems to have exceeded its norm.

[Deborah]

"She pops up now and again to tell us we need more women like her"

Gosh, what a frightening thought.

[Modern Conservative]

Actually I love TM, I have never understood the undercurrent that doesn't like her.

For me she is the achetype of the sensible modern Conservative woman MP and we need more like her.

[Peter Bryson]

Teresa May, a total waste of space

[Mary E Seal]

Get rid of Francis Maude .... too pro European, not to mention useless.

[YORKIE]

IM MY AREA DONCASTER, I AM CONTINUALLY RECIEVING COLOURED BROCHURES FROM EDD MILLIBAND REGARDING THE WORK HE IS DOING, ALL OF US IN DREGRETFULLY IM AM ONCASTER NORTH DO. FROM DONCASTER CONSERVATIVES I RECIEVE,NOTHING.IS THIS HOW YOU WIN AN ELECTION.

[John Irvine]

Theresa May is appalling and widely disliked by party members.

IDS once said she was incompetent, which she certainly is.

Drop her.

[ESH]

It is very hard to make assessments with so little information to go on as to their activities