GEXIT Thoughts

[DotasScandal]

Unfortunately not

[difficulttimes]

I assume Chief Secretary to the Treasury has now given Gauke even more power than Financial Secretary to the Treasury??

[DonkeyRhubarb]

I assume Chief Secretary to the Treasury has now given Gauke even more power than Financial Secretary to the Treasury??

Yep, it's a promotion to one below Chancellor.

[QCApproved]

Chief something alright
its the 2IC to the Chancellor v disappointing in some ways as Total GAUKEXIT was the preferred o/come
however, he should now be tied up with endless pay and budget tribulations as well as government procurement policy - how money is spent rather than how its raised - he will be chuffed no doubt but we must ensure his legacy follows him. Let's see who the other treasury ministers will be.

[webberg]

The only hint of relief here is that his direct responsibility for tax may now move to somebody else because his new job gives him wider powers and he won't be able to spend all his time devising tax tortures.

[centurian]

The only hint of relief here is that his direct responsibility for tax may now move to somebody else because his new job gives him wider powers and he won't be able to spend all his time devising tax tortures.

True, but whoever replaces him as Financial Secretary, will probably report to Gauke in one way or another, so are hardly going to contradict their new boss by reversing all the stuff that Gauke has been driving through for years.

Most optimistic outcome is a softening of the approach moving forwards.

[BrilloPad]

The only hint of relief here is that his direct responsibility for tax may now move to somebody else because his new job gives him wider powers and he won't be able to spend all his time devising tax tortures.

He never did. His HMRC masters did. And Gauke will continue to do as he is told.

[webberg]

I'm not so sure that Gauke will remain so closely connected to the tax side.

Previously he was engaged in a minor Treasury role where tax was the sole job. When he got promoted to Financial Secretary, we was supposed to relinquish that role and move on. However the structure was altered to allow him to have control of tax. Now he's been "promoted" again, unless he again manages to revamp the structure - less likely now that a new Chancellor is in place - he will be shuffled off the board.

We do though need to be careful of what we wish for. What we might get is an MP who is young and hungry to make a mark as opposed to Gauke who may be a temporary placeholder whilst Hammond gets his feet under the table, or he may be seen as an established Tory MP who is on a path to higher office.

We live in interesting times.