Benn to environment, Hoon as expected will be Chief Whip and by my count all we’re waiting for is Northern Ireland, Defence and Chief Secretary to the Treasury. But likely some surprises to come with the minister of state appointments. As Darling boasted on the Today Programme this morning,
““I think you will see when the announcements are made later today that we will be reaching out beyond the narrow confines of our own party.
"To appoint people who are not necessarily members of the Labour Party and may not have had an association with us in the past, I think that’s a good thing."