ReturnedhometoWestLondonwith a rucksack, not a redboxwiththeconditionsthatwereattachedwas a requirementthat I replacedallmypoliticaladvisersandthesepeoplethathaveworkedincrediblyhardonbehalfofnotjustthegovernmentforthewholecountrydone a fantasticjob.
I wasunabletoacceptthoseconditions.
I don't believeanyselfrespectingministerwouldacceptsuchconditions.
Andsotherefore, I thoughtthebestthingtodowastogowiththoseconditionsimposedbyMrCummings.
Smithwasappointedjustsevenmonthsagoandoversaw a monumentaltalksprocessthatledtotheNorthernIrelandpartiesagreeing a dealtorestore a powersharinggovernmentofstormaunt.
Howmuchof a powergrabbynumber 10 Isthissoifit's interesting, if a coupleofweeksagosomeonehadtoldmethatSergeantJavidwasgoingtobebootedoutinthereshuffle.
Well, I wouldn't haveseenthatsurprisedtherewereprettywelladvertisedtensionsbetweentheteamsatnumber 10 and 11.
Number 10 seemsgenuinelytohaveBeanhopefulthatSergeantJavidwouldhavesaidyestothisplanthatwouldhaveclippedhiswings, gotridofsomeofhisadvisersbutallowedhimtostayonin a verytopjob.
Buthealsohad a sensethatthismightbecominguntilyoutalkedaboutthiswithfriendsinthelastcoupleofdays, andhewasprettyclearthathemighthavetowalk.
SoNumber 10 didnoactuallygettheirwaystraightforwardlyintermsofdeliberatelyshowinghimthedoorandwhen I saywecantakeawayfromthatisitshows.
Today, DowningStreetmade a politicalchoicetoputcontroloverkeepingpersonnelthattheprimeministergenuinelyvalued.
Now, intheshorttomediumterm, thatmightmeantheyhave a morepliantneighbornextdoor.
Although I don't thinkweshesoonactwillbeanythinglike a pushover.