George Osborne's gaffes have left David Cameron without a strong voice on the economy. Hence his decision to recall the Europhile former Chancellor Kenneth Clarke as shadow business secretary in place of a lacklustre Alan Duncan.
I'm sure Labour looks forward to Ken's robust advice on issues such as the value of temporarily cutting VAT - something regarded with contempt by Cameron and Osborne - and joining the Euro, reviving the good old days of Tory internecine warfare.
But in these uncertain times, we need more people of Clarke's calibre and experience to the fore. Just as Gordon Brown was right to bring back Peter Mandelson, David Cameron is right to turn to the experienced Clarke. He just shouldn't expect it to be a trouble-free appointment.
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