Time and again, their more muscular – to borrow a phrase – approach to Westminster’s prerogatives has paid off. Yet they don’t set Union policy.
The latest twist in the running battle over getting ‘Legislative Consent Motions’ sees the Territorial Offices overruled.
For all that Downing Street sources dismissed Douglas Ross as ‘Mr Nobody’, the Prime Minister has decided to replace him with two people.
His appointments to the Territorial Offices are a mixed bag: Cairns is a welcome retention, Jack a bold but possibly risky change, and Smith another letdown for Ulster.
The significance of the Northern Ireland SpAd’s tweet lies less in its content than its author – and that it has been issued at all.
It is hard to appoint more women to Cabinet when there are few senior women to promote. We count only four at Minister of State level.
Beneath the headlines the Scottish Secretary’s statements were entirely consistent with the Prime Minister’s muscularly unionist approach.
The focus on leaving the EU needs to be balanced by a powerful new Department for Growth, with a mandate to devolve power and drive up regional prosperity.