Crucial move from cronies to proper shadow team

It is a public acknowledgement of a series of changes that have so far been happening out of sight of the public eyes: the expansion of the Tory leader's inner circle in advance of the election.

For many months, Mr Cameron has been gradually increasing the number of calls he makes to senior colleagues outside the original Notting Hill set of trusted cronies.

William Hague was not in his moderniser set to begin with, but a big beast wooed out of semi-retirement to beef up a shadow cabinet that still lacks enough Cabinet ministers-in-waiting. In recent months he has come in fully to the leadership.

He is a brilliant public performer whose acid wit and razor-sharp political insights will improve Tory presentation. Party activists like his hardline anti-Brussels stance and adore his humour.

But MPs will read a lot of other messages into this promotion. Is it a reassurance to the Right in preparation for a return of Kenneth Clarke as shadow business secretary? Does it demote George Osborne who had a bad autumn? Neither is true, say the Cameroons.

The short-term loser, however, is Mr Osborne. But Mr Cameron, allies say, plans to raise his profile too in the coming months.

Moving from a structure where decisions are taken by cronies to a proper collegiate shadow government is perhaps the most tense process any leader has to undergo. Mr Cameron used to take every decision with Mr Osborne and his close friend Steve Hilton, the director of strategy who now lives mainly in the US.

Oliver Letwin was the third most important adviser and, when these four were satisfied, they would consult bigger beasts like Mr Hague and, before his resignation, David Davis. The Deripaska yacht affair showed how vulnerable the Tory machine was due to its reliance on a few public figures - Osborne and Cameron. It simply had to change.