Eric Pickles is being appointed Conservative Party chairman in today's reshuffle, news which we greet warmly.
We presume readers will too, since he was your choice for the job in our survey last week.
Caroline Spelman will remain in the shadow cabinet, though in which post we do not yet know.
Thank god for that - Warsi was talking a load of rubbish claiming the title!!! Well done David Cameron
Posted by: Dewsbury Tory | January 19, 2009 at 10:46
Excellent news.
Posted by: Cllr Caroline Nixon | January 19, 2009 at 10:50
YES!!! First KC and now EP. The pieces are all falling into place! These are two of the best appointments Cameron could have concocted. He has taken our best communicator (Clarke) and our best campaigner (Pickles) and put them in what is probably the strongest shadow cabinet we could muster.
Splendid news!
Posted by: Rightwingery | January 19, 2009 at 10:52
Thank God for that too - now we may get someone better suited to more rational policy formulation in the field of local government as shadow SSCLG.
Posted by: rah | January 19, 2009 at 10:52
Excellent.
Posted by: Matt Wright | January 19, 2009 at 10:55
Iain Dale blogged last night that Caroline would stay as Chairman and that the resuffle would not be significant. . .
Posted by: DCMX | January 19, 2009 at 10:55
In a way i am osrry - I wanted to see EP as Local Government Minister cutting oukt all the garbage over unitaries and "community planning." It depends on his successor.
Posted by: dcj | January 19, 2009 at 10:55
WOOHOO!!
My heart sank last night when the word was that Caroline would remain in post. Thought Cameron had bottled it!
Posted by: James Hopkins | January 19, 2009 at 10:55
Over the moon. Eric is an excellent campaigner. It is great news to see him as party chairman and will have my full support.
Posted by: Robert Owens | January 19, 2009 at 10:57
Excellent news - and long overdue. Eric Pickles has all the makings of a great election-winning Party Chairman.
Posted by: The Freedom Association | January 19, 2009 at 11:06
Eric will do a very good job. He is the right man for this important role. Well done Eric and best of luck.
Posted by: The Bishop Swine | January 19, 2009 at 11:07
I think he will make a good Chairman, though I think he will be missed at his former brief.
Posted by: IRJMilne | January 19, 2009 at 11:23
The Shadow Cabinet now has the feeling of being much more substantial in gravitas, good changes are good.
Posted by: YMT | January 19, 2009 at 11:31
"Iain Dale blogged last night that Caroline would stay as Chairman and that the resuffle would not be significant. . .
Posted by: DCMX | January 19, 2009 at 10:55"
Dale's is used by his "friends" to spread disinformation. His credibility is zero. That's why the Telegraph sacked him.
Posted by: Total Nonsense | January 19, 2009 at 11:33
I hope that Eric gets stuck into the party's election campaign organisation. In particular the computing systems which Caroline Spellman ignored.
Posted by: HF | January 19, 2009 at 11:52
Great appointment, and a regional accent, how has he got so far up the greasy Tory pole? Not enough regional accents about in Tory Party.
Lets hope Eric brings all the localism rhetoric from his previous portfolio into that of being the Party Chairman and responsible for campaigning. Properly funded local campaign centres with local people having an input into what (and who) is best for their areas. We will have to wait and see.
Posted by: walsall ladette | January 19, 2009 at 12:15
3 Cheers.
1 Eric knows a great deal more about the workings of the volunatary party, having worked his way through the YC's and upwards
2 He MUST look into that computer system, It is not fit for purpose
3 Spelman has gone from one area she knows little about to an area she thinks she knows even less about
Posted by: Matthew Palmer | January 19, 2009 at 13:02
A very good appointment and a politically clever one - hopefully takes some of the wind out of the bags of the Kenophobes. This is really looking like a very good team. Who have Labour got - Mandleson and Straw are the only premier league players, the former who is loathed by the Lab party and the latter isn't exactly liked. oh, and their great hope for the future is Bananaboy!!!!
Posted by: NigelJ | January 19, 2009 at 13:13
While I welcome Eric Pickles to his new post, certainly good to see Spelmann out, I wonder what Pickles actually did apart from the by election win?
Posted by: James Maskell | January 19, 2009 at 13:37
Great news.
Eric - please sort out the Associations.
Posted by: Deborah | January 19, 2009 at 13:43
GREAT! A first class change!
Posted by: Steve Foley | January 19, 2009 at 13:57
Fantastic news, although I wish we were able to vote for the Part Chairman...
Posted by: AJJM | January 19, 2009 at 14:07
Excellent choice. With Ken Clarke and Eric Pickles, the team can hardly be described as lightweight.
Posted by: Didactophobe | January 19, 2009 at 17:58
Pickles is an excellent move it will be crewe and nantwich up and down the country now well done
Posted by: onthejob | January 20, 2009 at 07:29