MPs who know Dan Jarvis are not surprised he accepted the cursed job of defence secretary – even knowing he may last only a few weeks in the job. The former paratrooper, once touted as a leadership contender, has long seemed destined for that role, having worked his way diligently through ministerial ranks, a South Yorkshire mayoralty and the shadow cabinet.
“He’ll have done it out of a sense of duty,” said one MP who knows him well. But they said he would “no doubt” be hoping that a successor to Keir Starmer would keep him on in the role.
