The new identify plate on the workplace of the Secretary of State for Defence goes to learn as Grant Shapps however some could surprise if it ought to be Michael Green, Corinne Stockheath or Sebastian Fox.

Those names are the faux personas that Mr Shapps utilized in his earlier dealings as a businessman earlier than coming into politics because the MP for Welwyn Hatfield in 2005.

The barely Del Boy previous as an entrepreneur has fed into the picture of a person who's a little bit of a thriller however is at all times prepared to do no matter is required to get issues completed whether or not that stretched moral boundaries or not.

In some methods the announcement ought to be one which the navy ought to be grateful for as a result of there isn't a doubt that he is aware of the political methods and means to push their agenda (so long as additionally it is his agenda).

Shapps is a rarity within the present cupboard in that he's a correct politician who's prepared to get his palms soiled wherver and every time obligatory.

It is truthful to say that the navy haven't solely endorsed his shock appointment as Defence Secretary.

The preliminary response of 1 Royal Navy supply was: "What the f*** [is Sunak] doing appointing Shapps as defence secretary? He knows nothing about defence, the armed forces or the need to maintain military infrastructure and spending."

After all Shapps is changing Ben Wallace, a former military officer and MoD man via and thru.

Wallace, although, for all his public negotiating on defence spending didn't get what he needed from the Treasury and with a conditional 5 % rise in comparison with the ten % he had needed.

It could also be that Shapps is the person who can lastly get the MoD finances sorted.

When Shapps was introduced in as a shock option to quickly change Suella Braverman as Home Secretary within the dying days of Liz Truss's short-lived authorities, one ex-minister advised Express.co.uk that it was "not a surprise."

The veteran MP stated: "I wouldn't trust Grant as far as I could throw him but he is the Swiss Army Knife of politics, you can put him anywhere to do anything and you know he will get the job done."

Certainly, that was the view of Boris Johnson who made him Transport Secretary after he had efficiently run a whipping operation within the 2019 management contest.

Shapps's record of which MP was supporting who in that contest grew to become a factor of legend and he predicted nearly the precise numbers for the ultimate counts.

As Transport Secretary he was instrumental in reviving and saving (for now) the beleaguered HS2 mission and was described as "the first transport secretary to take an interest in transport for years" by one insider.

When Johnson was as a consequence of do a reshuffle in the course of the pandemic, Shapps' identify got here up as one who could be out.

But a Downing Street insider on the time appropriately stated: "Why would he sack Grant? He is a very effective minister and the boss (Boris Johnson) really rates him."

Truss made the error of sacking him when she gained the management contest final summer season and shortly regretted it when he orgainsed the rebel in opposition to scrapping the 45p revenue tax fee.

This could also be why she made him Home Secretary as she desperately tried to avoid wasting her authorities.

But there was a aspect of Shapps (not least his previous faux enterprise personas) which have led folks to not belief him.

However, it's the willingness to delive into the darkish arts of politics which make him excellent for a senior job.

He proved that early on as celebration chairman for David Cameron when he helped win the 2015 common election.

Sunak is calculating that defence can be an space of diferrentiation within the coming election marketing campaign, he wants someone nimble sufficient to launch assaults on Labour.

That is perhaps why others like Penny Mordaunt, John Glen or Liam Fox who have been the favourites for the job could have misplaced out.

It is to not everybody's style although.

One senior Tory complained: "It is a weird appointment, putting spin above substance - the polar opposite to Ben Wallace.

"It present's Rishi's pririties are as soon as once more not the nation's."

That may be the case - but Sunak's priority now must be to find a way to win the election.

What is more interesting is that in taking a political fighter out of energy and replacing him with the managerial Claire Continho he appears to be downgrading energy as a frontline issue around the green agenda.

What the move signifies though is that the battles Shapps will be engaging in as Defence Secretary will be more the political ones at home and less the military ones in Ukraine.