With the inauguration on January 20th getting closer Joe Biden’s going through the process almost everyday of announcing new members of his team. Of all of them so far the most well-known name came yesterday with the choice of Pete Buttigieg to be the transportation secretary.

This should give the 39 year old former Mayor of South Bend Indiana a continuing media presence something he did very successfully on behalf of the President elect during the election campaign. Time and time again in the run up to November 3rd he was the pro-Biden choice to go on Fox News setting out the Democratic contender’s position and generally supporting the campaign.

Could he also carry out that role once the new government comes into being? My guess is that Buttigieg will thus ensuring that he’ll maintain a high profile.

Giving Biden’s age, 78, it is hard to see him going for a second term and we’re going to get speculation almost from the start over who will be the nominee for the party in 2024.

Sure the vice-president, Kamal Harris, is probably the 2024 favourite but my money is on Buttigieg being the one to beat.

Mike Smithson

UPDATE: These are the markeThis market relates to whether the UK government re-introduces any legally enforceable restrictions on social contact in England related to the spread of coronavirus, following the legal end of restrictions on social contact (currently expected to take place on 19 July 2021). Examples may include, but are not limited to, the mandatory wearing of face masks on public transport or the closure of pubs/nightclubs. For the purposes of this market, restrictions will not include any regulations on international travel or any regulations related to self-isolation or quarantine. For the purposes of this market, ‘re-introduce’ does not require any restrictions to exactly replicate previous restrictions. If the UK government does not end restrictions on social contact in 2021, and thus could not ‘re-introduce’ restrictions, this market will be void. Dates in this market relate to when any restrictions come into force in England, rather than the date on which they are announced. All times and dates in this market are in UK time. Clarification (14 July 2021): This market refers to mandatory England-wide measures introduced by the UK government. Any measures that are introduced locally or by individual companies (e.g. Transport for London only) will not count towards the settlement of this market. Clarification (6 September 2021): If ‘vaccination passports’ are required for entry to nightclubs or other events, this market will be settled for yes, so long as the measure satisfies the other conditions in the market rules, i.e. that it is mandatory, implemented by the UK government, England-wide and legally enforceable. Clarification (12 October 2021): If vaccines become mandatory for people working in care homes at any point in 2021 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vaccination-of-people-working-or-deployed-in-care-homes-operational-guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-vaccination-of-people-working-or-deployed-in-care-homes-operational-guidance) this market will be settled for yes, so long as the measure satisfies the other conditions in the market rules, i.e. that it is mandatory, implemented by the UK government, England-wide and legally enforceable.