Sunak is looking to unite the party in an attempt to bring the Tories back from the brink

On Monday, Sunak informed his party and hers deputies it must unite or die. That was his side of the deal. Not only that the older supporters of its disastrous predecessor, Liz Trussremain at work, but those who supported Boris Johnson long after the resignation of Sunak himself were also introduced.

There was room for key Sunak supporters and lieutenants, with Mel Stride at the DWP, Dominic Raab returning to the judiciary to become Deputy Prime Minister, and Oliver Dowden as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

Simple decisions were made for him: Jeremy Hunt was kept on as chancellor ostensibly for stability, but in reality to keep a key moderate voice at the center of government. Ben Wallace, the popular defense minister, also retained his post. Continuity over Ukraine and appeasing the Tory membership are likely to be high on the list of key considerations. Theresa Coffey’s switch to the environment also contributes to the difficult transition from the Truss premiership.

Former leadership candidates besides Truss and Johnson were also honored. As the olive branches of various factions were strewn in all corners of Westminster, Kemi Badenach was re-appointed as Trade Secretary and Penny Mordant retained her post as Leader of the House of Commons. No higher than the positions they got under the Trail, and thus no immediate threat. Suella Bravermana key right-wing voice in the party, also regained her job as home secretary as a reward for supporting Sunak over Johnson.

From a Scottish perspective, the return of Michael Gove to the promotion portfolio and the stability of Alistair Jack as Scottish Minister will mean that little will change from the pre-Truss era.

There are, however, two key questions that Sunak will ultimately ask. Is this the team he dreamed of when he was running for prime minister this summer, and does he have full confidence in everyone? This seems unlikely. As prime minister of such a fractured party, can he maintain a semblance of unity long enough to recover before the general election? Time will tell, but it’s very difficult.