Who would have thought it? The expected “minor reshuffle” developed into the one of the most headline-grabbing reshuffles that you’re ever likely to see, and all thanks to Peter Mandelson’s astonishing return to Cabinet. I’m sure that would have been towards the forefront of Brown’s mind – to wrest the news agenda back from Cameron, and to maybe dull any post-conference bounce for the Tories. But there’ll be other reasons too: bridge-building with the Blairites and upping the experience-quotient in government among them. But will it all back-fire for Brown? Political bridge-building has a tendency to double up as bridge-burning, and in this case the left of the party – the Unions and Brownites among them – will be less than amused. Of course, they may have been placated with promises that Their Men will soon be filling the top positions – that this reshuffle has given Brown the room to make any change he wants in future – but, even so, I imagine they’d have preferred skipping this pro-Mandelson stage altogether.
Anyway, here’s the full list of Brown’s Cabinet:
Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service
The Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
The Rt Hon David Miliband MP
Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor
The Rt Hon Jack Straw MP
Secretary of State for the Home Department
The Rt Hon Jacqui Smith MP
Secretary of State for Health
The Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP
Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
The Rt Hon Peter Mandelson
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP
Secretary of State for International Development
The Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP
Secretary of State for Defence
The Rt Hon John Hutton MP
Leader of the House of Commons (and Lord Privy Seal); Minister for
Women and Equality
The Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
The Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP
Secretary of State for Transport
The Rt Hon Geoff Hoon MP
Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
The Rt Hon Ed Balls MP
Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
The Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The Rt Hon James Purnell MP
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Rt Hon Shaun Woodward MP
Leader of the House of Lords (and Lord President of the Council)
The Rt Hon Baroness Royall of Blaisdon
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP
Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills
The Rt Hon John Denham MP
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP
Secretary of State for Wales
The Rt Hon Paul Murphy MP
Secretary of State for Scotland
Jim Murphy MP
[Other Cabinet attendees…]
Chief Whip (Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury)
The Rt Hon Nick Brown MP
Minister for the Cabinet Office; and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Liam Byrne MP
Minister of State (Housing), Department for Communities and Local
Government
The Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP
Minister of State (Employment), Department for Work and Pensions, and
Minister for London
Tony McNulty MP
Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Rt Hon Lord Malloch-Brown
Minister of State, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills
Lord Drayson
[Attend Cabinet when their Ministerial responsibilities are on the
agenda…]
Minister for the Olympics and Paymaster General
The Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP
Attorney General
The Rt Hon Baroness Scotland of Asthal QC
Minister of State (Europe), Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Rt Hon Caroline Flint MP
Minister of State, Department for Children Schools and Families
The Rt Hon Beverley Hughes MP
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