Well, well – what is going on? I locked myself away for a few hours to write a piece and emerge to find that the Home Secretary has resigned. My first instinct was to look for Damian McBride and to check for the availability of Peroni in the Westminster area. But the word is that the news came from Smith’s people. Anyway, I can’t imagine that all this is doing much to help Labour close the gap in the final days of campaigning.
Smith’s departure does not leave us much clearer on the shape of the reshuffle. It does, though, free up a great office state for Darling to be shunted into if Brown does decide to move Balls into the Treasury. However, it is interesting that Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs select committee, has already made it clear he wouldn’t be happy with a Scottish MP as Home Secretary.
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