I was asked at yesterday’s Pension PlayPen coffee morning if there was a book running on who will be the new pensions minister. I don’t think there is one, but if there were, Steve Webb wold be running it.
There have been three announcements of DWP ministers. Stephen Timms became the odds-on favorite having twice won the race before.
But no announcement of Timms taking on the role has been forthcoming and Steve Webb equivocated
Delighted to see @stephenctimms back as a Minister at DWP. Look forward to seeing if he is given the pension brief or employment/welfare as he knows about both! https://t.co/ELiMJ6Mb6u
— Steve Webb (@stevewebb1) July 8, 2024
I’m keeping an eye out for the remaining ministerial appointments to DWP – as pensions minister has recently been a ‘junior’ minister role, I suspect we haven’t yet heard the name, and could easily be in the Lords
— Steve Webb (@stevewebb1) July 9, 2024
Bryn Davies or Jeannie Drake?
Or perhaps Baroness Sherlock?
Baroness Sherlock OBE has been appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Work and Pensions pic.twitter.com/55CwWcOnnb
— Department for Work and Pensions (@DWPgovuk) July 9, 2024
But late in the day, a new runner entered the ring, with dual entries in both the Treasury and DWP
Very interesting! Joint Treasury / DWP ministerial appointment- that says Pensions to me! https://t.co/5VVodJPIwH
— Steve Webb (@stevewebb1) July 9, 2024
“Real Experience” was at City UK, a financial services lobbying group where she worked until May,
However there is a fourth DWP Minister and Sir Steve is canny enough not to rule out the outsider, Andrew Western.
Emma Reynolds MP and Andrew Western MP both appointed as junior ministers at DWP. Will the real Pensions Minister please step forward! 😀
— Steve Webb (@stevewebb1) July 9, 2024
We will probably know today who will be Pensions Minister and whether – for the first time there is a pension minister in both the DWP and Treasury. I think that would be rather fun, especially if it were the same person.
But like Steve, I will be politic and conclude that any of McGovern, Western , Timms and Reynolds would be an improvement on the shambles stalemate of the past twelve months.
We wish ministers past a fond farewell, Paul Maynard and Guy Opperman are now back in civvy street, Alex Burghardt continues to sit on one of the few big Tory majorities remaining while Ros Altmann is a peer for life. Ros and Steve (Conservative and Liberal respectively) are the principal pension experts left in parliament (other than Stephen Timms). I am sorry to see Nigel “candy-crush” Mills has lost his seat in Farnborough, we need a new Work and Pensions Committee.
Bell
My left-field prediction of Torsten Bell may not yet have won his parliamentary spurs but that is only a matter of time. He is already the inside commentator on economic policy
The case for @RachelReevesMP’s sweeping changes to the planning system announced today…
— Torsten Bell (@TorstenBell) July 8, 2024
The book
Emma Reynolds – Evens
Stephen Timms – 5/4
Alison McGovern- 20-1
Andrew Western – 20-1
Torsten Bell – 25-1 (with a run)
Baroness Sherlock 50-1
The announcement on who will be running the review of workplace pensions has yet to be made. Bell is a lot shorter price for that.