The prime minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, recently appointed a minister without portfolio in an attempt to appease the Tory Right after the sacking of Suella Bra­verman. Esther McVey is a member of Parliament from Tatton and a host of GB News. However, she is widely dubbed as the ‘minister of common sense’.

Each of us defines common sense differently. What, though, is the present Tory concept of common sense? Sunak’s official spokesman said that this was “not her public title,” and suggested that she would “stand up for working people.” Indeed, a lot of people refer to McVey as the ‘tsar of anti-wokeism’. Sunak ap­poi­nted her as he knows being anti-woke will get votes.

While McVey carries out her duties, we might examine the extraordinary situation of appointing a minister without a portfolio, one who holds cabinet rank but is not in control of a particular State department. The sinecure is especially prevalent in countries like Israel with coalition governments where a minister without a portfolio, often from among smaller coalition partners, is not allowed to lead any specific ministry but is entitled to ministerial perks and a vote in cabinet decisions. It is almost a political compulsion there.

Jamaicans are frequently perplexed by the term, minister without portfolio, as many believe that cabinet ministers using that designation essentially do no work. Yet, a great number of regimes have appointed such ministers, as did Andrew Holness, the current prime minister of Jamaica.

It is not unusual for countries with the Westminster system of government, such as the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, to select a minister without a portfolio. However, like McVey, individuals designated in this manner are often assigned particular duties. Con­tributing to the govern­ment’s policy and decision-making processes is part of such responsibilities, according to the UK’s government website.

When Stanley Bruce became the commonwealth mi­nister in London in 1932, he was titled minister without a portfolio in Australia. He was bestowed with this title so that he could serve as a representative of the prime minister and his colleagues without being constrained by a portfolio. Many noteworthy politicians in Canada have held the position of minister without a portfolio over the years, notably Jean Chrétien (1967) who would become prime minister 26 years later. Arthur Meighen also held this position following his tenure as prime minister.

What about India? The case of V. Senthil Balaji, a minister from Tamil Nadu, made it to the Madras High Court recently. Following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate last June, the ruling government decided to designate Balaji as a minister without a portfolio. But the high court stated that Balaji’s continued ministerial position “serves no purpose and does not augur well with the Principles of Constitutional ethos on goodness, good go­v­ernance and purity in administration,” ul­ti­mately leaving the decision to the wisdom of the chief minister, M.K. Stalin.

Chief ministers like J. Jayalalithaa and Arvind Kej­ri­wal served without portfolios. At various times, Jawaharlal Nehru appointed V.K. Krishna Menon and T.T. Krishnamachari as ministers without portfolios. After Nehru became ill in 1964, Lal Bahadur Shastri was appointed as a minister without a portfolio; he became the prime minister after Nehru’s death in June 1964. Mamata Banerjee was a mi­nister without any portfolio in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led National Democratic Alliance government. Other such instances abound in the political history of India.

Ministers without portfolios continue to enjoy the status and benefits of ministers at the expense of the public exchequer despite not leading any particular ministry or having clearly defined tasks that are easily comprehensible to common people. That these appointments are mere political compulsions is common sense. But thanks to McVey, our common sense has been renewed. We now know that a minister without a portfolio may simply be for reintroducing common sense regardless of how uncommon it seems to the common man.

Atanu Biswas is Professor of Statistics, Indian Statistical Institute, Calcutta