Nothing's changed, says 'very happy' Grayling after Tory chairman Twitter error
Chris Grayling echoed Theresa May's much-maligned "nothing has changed" soundbite as he dismissed suggestions that he was angry over being wrongly announced as Conservative Party chairman during the Cabinet reshuffle.
The Prime Minister's shake-up of her ministerial team began farcically on Monday as Mr Grayling was incorrectly declared party chairman by the Conservatives' official Twitter account before the job went to Brandon Lewis.
Mr Grayling has stayed on as Transport Secretary and declared "nothing's changed" as he sought to defend the reshuffle, bringing to mind Mrs May's mantra as she U-turned on plans for a so-called "dementia tax" during her botched snap election last year.
Am honoured to be made Chairman of the @Conservatives a great party delivering for people across the UK with a superb team.
-- Brandon Lewis (@BrandonLewis) January 8, 2018
"Reshuffles - there's always endless speculation," the Transport Secretary told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"I think over the last two weeks I've been going to be sacked, I've been going to become deputy prime minister, I've been going to become party chairman; actually I'm the Transport Secretary who's always wanted to be Transport Secretary, who's very happy doing it.
"Nothing's changed.
"Lots of media speculation and a mistaken tweet and that happens quite often these days."
Asked if he was angry about the mix-up over the party chairman job, he replied: "No, not in the slightest. I'm doing a job I really enjoy doing, I want to make a difference, I believe we are making a difference."
Off to my new role as Universities & Science Minister and looking forward to the challenges ahead - thank you for your excellent work @JoJohnsonUK. A massive thank you to all prisons & probation staff, particularly prison officers, for your incredible dedication & hard work.
-- Sam Gyimah MP (@SamGyimah) January 9, 2018
Mrs May followed her limited Cabinet-level reshuffle on Monday by sacking a number of middle-ranking white, male ministers and replacing them with younger colleagues in an apparent bid to boost diversity in the Government.
Mr Grayling denied he had "survivor's guilt" as a white, middle-aged man.
"No, I don't think so. I'm getting on with the job," he said.
And referring to an item on the programme discussing the resemblance of the May administration to the Tudor courts of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, he said: "The Prime Minister has only got one husband rather than six and I don't think she's got quite the same build as Henry VIII."
