Francis Green

IT is a job that has been held by some of the best known political heavyweights – including George Osborne and Willam Hague. And now the Ashford MP Damian Green has joined it – promoted to First Secretary of State by the Prime Minister shortly after the election.

It brings with it a seat in cabinet and the kudos of being second-in-command to the PM.

While the Conservatives had a disastrous election, the former work and pensions minister is considered to have had a good one.

As one of Theresa May’s chief cheerleaders, his profile rose during the campaign, with regular appearances on TV and radio defending Mrs May – a close friend since they were at Oxford university.

His ability to keep calm in the face of hostile questioning often took the heat out of controversial issues. It undoubtedly helped that before entering politics he was a broadcast journalist who had worked for both the BBC and Channel 4.

Even that experience could not stop him becoming embroiled in what was the Conservative’s lowest point of the campaign: the plan to reform adult care so families would not have to sell their homes to pay the costs.

Barely 24 hours after he had emphatically rejected the idea of a review in a TV interview, a review was announced – leading to the inevitable headlines screaming about a U-turn.

So, is his role to act as a lightning conductor for the PM? He sees it as more as a co-ordinating role for government.

“It is about making sure that things work better across and between government departments, so I will be chairing a lot of cabinet committees – a lot of it is behind the scenes work.”

If it sounds dull, it quite probably is, but it underlines the Prime Minister has decided she needs someone to help

It has been a turbulent period in politics and while the election proved to be a gamble that went spectacularly wrong for Theresa May, it has seen one of the county’s MPs promoted to a job at the heart of government. Political editor

talks to about his new role.

The First Secretary of State is an honorific title not always used by government. The title, which implies seniority over all other Secretaries of State has no specific powers or authority attached to it beyond that of any other Secretary of State.

It is often held by those who also nominally are the deputy Prime Minister. avoid a repetition of the political car crash over care costs that did so much damage to her reputation.

“A lot of it is about making sure government works better and in a more joined up way so we can drive through the Prime Minister’s priorities and spread prosperity to parts of the country where we have not seen it before.”

And, of course, there is the issue of taking the UK out of the EU and doing so in a way that “we make a success of the Brexit negotiations”.

As a committed remainer, that might not be something he relishes but he accepts that it is a job that needs doing.

He rejects the idea that because the cabinet now has ministers with strong views on both sides of the Brexit argument it will be more of a challenge to agree the terms of a deal.

“There are people in the cabinet who argued passionately on both sides of the referendum debate last year but the thing that unites us is we need to move on. We have had that debate; the country has decided. What we now need to do is get the best deal so we can continue the successful trading relationships we have, while taking the opportunities of other trading relationships around the world.”

“We want to protect the interests of British citizens abroad and European citizens here, so there are a huge number of big issues.”

“There’s a lot to do, but whatever side we took on the referendum the cabinet is united on getting that best deal.”

He diplomatically concedes that the election campaign and the eventual result “was not as good as we hoped” – something of an understatement.

“Clearly, it was a disappointing result, but I am sure we will be able to produce a result which is the best for all of us.”

Asked if the PM had been traumatised by the outcome and he repeats the same line – that she like everyone else in the party was “disappointed.” If there were tears in Downing Street, he won’t be talking about it.

His new job will at some point see him stepping in to do Prime Minister’s Questions when Mrs May is away.

It is a prospect he has mixed feelings about.

“I am both looking forward to it and there is an element of trepidation too.”

Since taking on the job, he has had some words of advice from a few of his predecessors but chooses not to share what they have told him. “I think I’ll keep private conversations private,” he says.

Diplomatic to the end.