Greg Clark MP is new Shadow Climate Secretary

In a very welcome appointment (one ConHome recommended) Greg Clark MP has been chosen to shadow Ed Miliband as Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change.  Nick Hurd MP will replace Greg as Charities spokesman.

That may be the extent of the Tory reshuffle.

4.05pm: An email from CCHQ notes that Shadow Climate Minister will be Greg Barker MP and Shadow Energy Minister will be Charles Hendry MP.

Comments

[London Tory]

A missed opportunity. Surely we are not going into a General Election with Caroline Spelman as Party Chairman ?

[reshuffler]

Is Caroline Spellman really still there, or are there further announcements to come?

[Westminster Wolf]

This was a forced reshuffle London Tory.

Cameron may reshuffle again if Caroline Spelman is criticised by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.

[Tim Montgomerie]

No further announcements resuffler. That's it.

[Teesbridge]

With Mandy in the Cabinet, there'll be any number of further reshuffle opportunities before a General Election, London Tory.

[DCMX]

NB Greg Clark's key adviser is climate change evangelist Peter Franklin.

[Conand]

From Conservatives.com:

'In other changes, Greg Barker has become the Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Charles Hendry the Shadow Minister for Energy, and Nick Hurd the Shadow Minister for Charities.'

[London Tory]

@ Westminster Wolf

I am tired of seeing frankly useless, non political Shadow Cabinet members on the TV and radio. A couple of recent examples from last week- Alan Duncan on Any Questions, Oliver Letwin on the Daily Politics. The week before we had Theresa May on Question Time.

With the poll lead narrowing, an absolute pre requisite for every Shadow Cabinet member must be an ability to coherently attack the Labour Party.

I saw more of that from Ken Clarke in 5 mins today than I have have from half the Shadow Cabinet in the last three years.

[Biodun]

Does this mean that Alan Duncan now shadows Peter Mandelson?

How do you shadow an opposite in the Lords?
Does he come in for debates in the commons?

[HF]

Two Gregs, both of whom I have severe doubts about. Let us see how they do.

[David Belchamber]

I have some sympathy with London Tory's remarks at 16.18 and believe that Labour's large overall majority at the last election was largely due to the shadow treasury team's quiescence over the last few years.

However, as a frequent critic of George Osborne's performances, I have to say that in today's debate he gave a very good account of himself and I was vastly relieved.

Ken Clarke was not actually attacking Labour today (as Heseltine did on QT last week, when he demolished the hapless Jacqui Smith) but he gave a very authoritative account of himself.

[John]

Greg Clarke's promotion is a big up for the 2005 intake. Well done and much deserved!

Looking at the middle ranks, another 2005er who stands out as competent and effective is Stephen Hammond, the Wimbledon MP. He's considered to have been a safe pair of hands at transport and ought to have his card marked for a step up.

[Tom Greeves]

I'm delighted that Greg, and indeed Peter Franklin, are at the top table where they belong.

[strapworld]

If Mr Clarke is another of the doomsayers who believe in the global warming nonsense, then we shall not get the nuclear power plants we require!

God help this country when so many of our elected representatives are so blinkered!

Buy a generator...two day weeks are on their way!

[Craig Barrett]

So what happens to Peter Ainsworth?

[Michael Clarke]

There should be a new Party Chairman, with or without judgement on Caroline Spellman's scrape with the Parliamentry Commissioner.

We need someone to rouse the grass roots. She was nearly invisible at the Party Conference.You could argue that Michael Ashcroft has more prominence as her Deputy Chairman.
There are special reasons here in Northampton why a replacement for Caroline Spellman is an imperative.

[support the strivers]

Greg great, T May actually excellent on QT - incisive thinking and celarly articulated. Teresa for Party Chairman again? I am almost embarrassed for Spelman who has been totally sidelined wthout losing her job. I guess there are mnay ways to punish people and having failed to resign honourably, she's going to suffer the long term one.

[Energy watcher]

This really is good news. Greg has an extremely good grasp of policy. He is an economist and his past as a DTI Special Adviser means that he understands industry. I am hopeful that he will continue the work of Alan Duncan in balancing the two challenges of reducing emissions and also ensuring secure and affordable energy supplies. Greg Barker's acceptance of the views of the environmental movement, including hostility to nuclear power means that he is unable to provide that balance. The fact that Charles Hendry stays in his job is also good news. He has sensible views on nuclear and has gained the trust of the energy sector.

[Malcolm Dunn]

Who is Mandy's Shadow? Anyone know?

[Votedave]

I'm not sure Malcolm - whoever it is will only be able to face him in the Lords.

[Londoner]

Strapworld logic is entirely wrong when he says: "If Mr Clarke is another of the doomsayers who believe in the global warming nonsense, then we shall not get the nuclear power plants we require!"

Most of us, certainly in our Party, who "believe in the global warming nonsense" are in favour of a big push towards nuclear power, precisely because we are concerned about global warming. If you haven't noticed that realignment, you are at least three years behind.

As for Mandelson's Shadow, it must be Alan Duncan, who stays where he is (minus Energy). This should be good news for Strapworld as AD was quite slow in coming around to the need to push forward with nuclear power again. Presumably it will be some general Lords spokesman who squares up to him in the Lords but that will be less important.

[Nigel Rathbone]

Having a chief opposition spokesman in the other House from the minister is not ideal. Why not Lord Heseltine as Mandelson's Lords shadow?

After all, he did the job himself some years ago, and as proved on QT last week he's pretty good at taking on Labour - better than most of the current shadow (never was the term so appropriate) cabinet...

[John Prendergast]

About time these Tories got wise to the Global warming fraud. It may be that the uncertainties caused by this Global warming racket will be tied into the depth of the financial crash we are undergoing.

Listen Camreon-GLOBAL WARMING is not Happenning!

[Adam in London]

Having the Sec of State in the Lords is more problematic for the Government than the Opposition. Business & Enterprise Questions will still go ahead in the Commons, only it will always be left to the Junior Ministerial team to deal with them. Meanwhile Mandelson will be dealing with the wiser heads in the Lords.

Greg Clark is a deserved promotion, although a loss to the welfare reform team.

Cameron clearly despises reshuffles, and understandably prefers to keep a team in place as long as he can.

Caroline Spelman is a backrrom Chairman and all the better for it. She gets on with the unglamorous jobs that need doing. We do not need a media-whore-Chairman - that's what the Shadow Cabinet is for.

[Northern Tory]

Greg Clarke, Caroline Spellman, Peter Ainsworth - you could go into any high street in the country - ask 200 people and nobody would have a clue who any of them are. The public needs to know we have strength in depth with some big beasts...

We can't rely on tweedle dum and tweedle dee (Cameron and Osborne) - getting Hague in front of the camera is a good start...Lets get Ken Clarke back on board - economic heavyweight liked by the public...

[Don Cameroni]

"So what happens to Peter Ainsworth?

Posted by: Craig Barrett | October 06, 2008 at 17:23"

It means that Peter Ainsworth sleeps with the polar bears.

[Londoner]

Peter Ainsworth remains in the Agriculture & Food portfolio just as his counterpart Hilary Benn does. In both cases their jobs have been cut back not abolished. In both cases mostly only farmers will now worry that we hear so little from them, and the rest of us can concern ourselves with the more important issues being handled by the new Ministry. Unfortunately in this context more farmers support the Tory Party so a weak spokesman in this area may hurt us more than the Government. In my opinion an abject failure should be sacked but Cameron probably decided that now is not the time.

I am pleased that Theresa Villier has survived, however, because if she had not it might have undermined her recent announcement of opposition to the third Heathrow runway, a stance which I stongly support.

[John Coombes]

Whilst I welcomes Greg Clarks appointment I think it's about time the Party started to think outside the box on the issue of climate change and perhaps in the first instance get back to the easy quick wins in respect of deforestation. Take the critical issue regarding the future of Guyana's pristine Rain Forest and the dilemma facing the Countries President Bharrat Jagdeo. Bloggers may not have watched the BBC's three part series relating to the Forest? It made compelling viewing and I was shocked not only to learn that such a pristine area existed, but that an offer had been made to the UK Government offering to hand over the Rain Forest for protection through the Carbon Credits Scheme. I have been informed that allegedly discussions are taking place behind closed doors, but nothing "official" has yet been decided, even though the offer was put forward in November 2007! As we know an American company is now believed to be researching a potential programme of logging. The thin edge of the wedge no doubt.

As the Leader of a Coastal District Council I am more than aware of the potential risks and effects of climate change. Whether it be higher tides or stronger winds Fylde in particular, is exposed. The Council itself is embarking on an ambitious carbon reduction programme, championed by the local MP Michael Jack, we are doing our part. However, this could be seen as futile if the British Government, the EU and all other Governments stand by and ignore this once in a lifetime offer made by Guyana - once the forest has gone - it's gone.

I urge Mr Clark to take the lead on this issue and give a clear pledge that a Conservative Government would not only take up President Jadeo's offer, but would also look to encourage other Governments in South America to follow suit and start to reverse the clearance of their natural habitats for timber or the production of bio-fuels.

A stronger, clearer set of policies and commitments to this vitally important example is urgently required. whilst I appreciate there is no quick fix, it seems ludicrous for a Government to be using taxation to force it's citizens out of larger vehicles, whilst at the same time, it stands by letting the greatest form of carbon reduction known to man to be destroyed.

I would welcome bloggers views on this subject and an assurance that Mr Clark will raise this issue in particular with the Prime Minister at his earliest opportunity.

[Londoner]

I agree with the thrust of your comment, John Coombes. I am nom expert but I am told that reducing, or even reversing, deforestation is the cost effective and easiest way to reduce net carbon emissions.