Johnson vs Johnson? , or just overdue party management? The reaction denotes both approval and irritation. Approval, that No 10 will now have a Conservative policy brain, reducing the influence of apolitical civil servants. Approval too, that Conservative backbenchers, who have often felt ignored and excluded, get to contribute. These appointments find many Conservative MPs in good spirits, cheered by modest economic growth and recent Labour difficulties. Yes, there are grumbles - some on the Right still feel left out -- but most will give the changes of the benefit of the doubt, at least for a while. Importantly, the new Conservative policy board includes people who have defied Mr Cameron on big issues: Jesse Norman rebelled over Lords reform, George Eustice over Europe. Peter Lilley's scepticism about climate change jars with Mr Cameron's greenery. The intended message to the backbenches: the door to No 10 is open to all. Inevitably, the appointment of Jo Johnson, brother of Boris, attracts most attention outside Westminster. Johnson Major is a potential Conservative leader, but some Tories see potential greatness in his brother too. Jo may lack Boris" flair - some colleagues find him reserved, even shy - but he has intelligence in spades, and the seriousness and rigour that often elude his brother. Has a Machiavellian Mr Cameron tried to engineer an eventual fraternal battle, pitting brother against brother? Will the freres Johnson eventually repeat the tragedy that befell Mrs Miliband's sons? That's unlikely, though the soap opera questions will persist. The truth of the appointment is more prosaic. Mr Cameron, increasingly concerned about Britain's place in the "global race" against emerging powers, prizes Mr Johnson's grasp of global finance and economics. And perhaps the biggest question here: can Mr Cameron's new team turn such lofty concepts into policies that win votes in the marginal seats of the Midlands and the north?