A cabinet reshuffle involves promotions or demotions for ministers and the relocation of government departments. It is a complex process that can have profound effects on the operation of government. In some areas, reshuffles can spark large, innovative policy initiatives. In other cases, they may simply reflect a struggle between political rivals. In any event, reshuffles are a major focus for political journalists.
The reshuffle is more common in parliamentary systems than in other types of government, such as presidential systems. They are also less common in systems where the head of government is confirmed by a separate legislative body. Cabinet reshuffles tend to occur at least once per term, but they can happen more frequently.
Hilary Armstrong began the event by arguing that there is no separation of executive and legislative power in a Westminster-type democracy, which means that prime ministers have considerable authority to reshuffle their cabinet. She added that reshuffles are often conducted in response to battles within cabinet, changes in policy and, of course, unfavourable opinion polls.
Tim Montgomerie placed reshuffles in historical perspective, arguing that while they are important for party morale, there is little evidence of them having a significant effect on policy. He also thought that reshuffles should take place midway through a parliament, in order to allow time for ministers to prepare.
Both speakers agreed that there should be more women in the cabinet, and that this should be a priority for the Conservatives. However, they disagreed about how this could be achieved. Tim Montgomerie suggested that the lack of women was due to a small pool from which to promote them, and that there needed to be more promotion of people at a lower level.