Iain Dale's Top 100: how the list was compiled Iain Duncan Smith did sufficiently well over the year to be powerful enough to say No to a move. Jeremy Hunt was either going to be sacked entirely or promoted after a tough year defending his relationship with Rupert Murdoch. He moved up to Health. Then there was the Justine Greening problem. A Secretary of State for Transport opposed to Heathrow Airport expansion had to go. She did not go quietly so needed to go to a big new job or else she would become the martyr on the backbenches; all that was left of the "new" Conservatism Cameron offered in opposition. She got Development and rose 38 places to 39. However the incoming Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin, down 5 to 23, inherited the mother of all messes over the west coast mainline. Greening had a great political year, showed her power within the party, but as a Minister she should consider retrospective resignation from her former role or else give transport £40m from her immense and ring fenced new budget. The unravelling of the reshuffle did not start or end on a train but on a bike. The newly minted Chief Whip, Andrew Mitchell, destroyed the news cycle post reshuffle by swearing at and insulting the police. His position in this list at 25th is based on what the story was supposed to be: a safe pair of hands, an effective Minister, moved to chief whip to control the troops in the run up to the election. Having wrecked the reshuffle stories he then feed his own self-consuming beast of a story by a "non-apology, apology." He will absent from Conference. But it looks like he will keep his job. Despite the best efforts of Greening and Mitchell to undermine what was supposed to be the new look, delivery focussed government, there were two very good stories. The newest entry onto this list is Sajid Javid, in at 55 and into the Treasury as Economic Secretary. He is the Tories answer to Chuka Umunna - Labour's rising star. Javid can articulate a defence of the city that does not make you want to vomit and has been been interviewed by Jeremy Paxman since he was twenty. His own back story, son of a Pakistani bus driver from the most violent street in the UK, Stapleton Road, Bristol, should make him a Cabinet Minister and general election pin up by the time of the election. Also into the list, into the Cabinet, and soon into your living room, comes for Maria Miller. Comprehensive educated, Welsh, articulate and socially liberal. Javid and Miller are the beginnings of a Conservative solution to what is known by some who are planning the next election campaign as the PBs (posh bastards) problem. Speaking of the PBs, George Osborne, booed at the Olympics, slips down 2 but Michael Gove climbs to 3rd on the strength of his reforming zeal. As Miliband has settled on education as a key battleground, Gove's role, after an intense year of activity and achievement, will continue to grow. As we enter the second half of the Parliament, and in many of performances reflected in this list, we see shadow of the coming election. The PM needs better economic news, some smooth news cycles and some big winners around him. Many have questioned his judgment, therefore, in bringing in Grant Shapps, (up 13 to 13th) as Party Chairman. Shapps's allegedly dodgy past was also heavily exposed after the reshuffle. He brings to mind the old quip about the Labour politician George Brown - "I would like to apologise for the remarks I am about to make." Shapps must galvanise the base and the grassroots. Our panel struggled to think of whom had championed the grass roots of the Conservative Party during the year and in turn, debated how high to put the leader of UKIP, Nigel Farage, who seems to say much of what the older Shire Tories think. In a tight election Farage's brand of right wing populism could make the difference. Much of this points towards one man and one hire that the PM should make over the next year: it is time to bring back the Wizard of Oz. Exiled under Cameron's leadership, Lynton Crosby destroyed Livingstone in Boris's Mayoral triumph. Cameron should stop being a PB, suppress his obvious snobbishness towards the straight talking Aussie election winning guru and make the call. The only alternative is to look at the one thing that the whole world agrees the UK did right this year: The Jubilee and the Olympics. Lord Coe is a loyal Conservative, a natural winner and fronted the biggest show on earth. If the PM does not hug him close and give him a big job over the next 18 months then when Boris goes for the top job, could a Peer be mayor of London?