Brown's Cabinet

MM Mon Jan 01, 2007 at 07:21:17 PM GMT Print-friendly version Facebook

A few stories in various papers yesterday and today setting out the likely Brown Cabinet.

Brown summons young courtiers for his Cabinet of all the talents
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,17129-2525894,00.html

Philip Webster, the Times Politcal Editor is normally very well informed.




From what the Times and Telegraph have been saying it seems there well be places at the Cabinet table for: Straw, Darling, Reid, Balls, David Miliband, Benn, Alexander, Jacqui Smith, Blears, Purnell, Burnham, McFadden, Murphy, Byrne, Cooper, Ed Milliband, Beverley, Charles Clarke and Paul Murphy and Jon Cruddas would be asked to to play a senior party/Government role.

Likely to be axed from the Cabinet: Hilary Armstrong, Tessa Jowell, Lord Falconer of Thoroton

The Times seems to be confident that Charles Clarke will return which would be a interesting move.

The battle to be Chancellor seems to be a straight fight between Darling and Straw, personally I would go with Jack Straw (can we really have a Scottish PM and Scottish Chancellor? I know the current PM was born in Edinbrough but he's not really Scottish is he.)

A final point should: Do party members feel comfortable that Brown's people were leaking these stories to the Sunday Telegraph?  It seems a shame that Brown's spin operation does not put more effort into countering damaging stories about so-called unfunding for the army or lack of money for prisions etc.


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Brown's Cabinet | 12 comments (12 topical)

Re: Brown's Cabinet (#1)

by MM on Mon Jan 01, 2007 at 08:43:27 PM GMT

Brown's Downing St 'humbler, more austere'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/12/31/nbrown31.xml


Re: Brown's Cabinet (#2)

by Wildrose on Tue Jan 02, 2007 at 04:08:19 PM GMT

I think 2 were missed from that list.

Brown will surely reward Dawn Primarolo and John Healey - stalwart supporters in the Treasury for years.


Re: Brown's Cabinet (#3)

by swatantra on Tue Jan 02, 2007 at 06:50:50 PM GMT

Paul Murphy? No, surely.
If Falconer goes then who is to be Brown's Lord Chancellor. Not Goldsmith, tainted with Iraq. Why not a woman Lady Scotland? She deserves far more for loyal sevice.


[ Parent ]

Re: Brown's Cabinet (#4)

by AJScobbie on Wed Jan 03, 2007 at 12:43:25 AM GMT

The LC need not sit in the HoL anymore and if Will Hutton was to believed from a few months back we may finally see the Home Office split. Dont rule out some of the legally qualified Brownites like Darling, Des Browne or Harman for such a move.


[ Parent ]

Re: Brown's Cabinet (#5)

by mwell on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 10:57:59 AM GMT

I assume MM meant Jim Murphy.


[ Parent ]

Re: Brown's Cabinet (#8)

by MM on Tue Jan 09, 2007 at 12:53:33 AM GMT

I assume Jim Murphy will be a candidate for the Cabinet, but according to the Times Political editor who is normally well sourced he seems to think Paul Murphy could make a comeback.  (I like others here was suprised when I read it)


[ Parent ]

Re: Brown's Cabinet (#9)

by MM on Tue Jan 09, 2007 at 12:58:13 AM GMT

Good call on Primarolo given how much flack she has taken on tax credits, maybe Brown will reward her with Tessa Jowell's job?  The problem Gordon Brown will have is that his first cabinet will be expected to be 60 or 80 strong.  People who have supported him for years will be expected to be rewarded i.e Nick Brown etc, also younger Brownites such as Ed Miliband.  He will also have to make sure he retains some so-called Blairites and he has said he will promote younger ministeral talents.  Plus he has impiled the Cabinet will be a broad church i.e that he will embrace critics, it's going to be a hell of balancing act.


[ Parent ]

Re: Brown's Cabinet (#6)

by JR on Sat Jan 06, 2007 at 03:16:36 PM GMT

Alistair Darling must not be given the role as Chancellor. Having two boring Scots in the top positions would be intolerable to most.

I hope Tessa Jowell stays - she's done a good job regarding the Olympics and is likeable to the general public.

And Charles Clarke making a comeback? This would be the worse decision of all. He's a bumbling old fool who messed up as Home Secretary and then threw a fit when he got sacked.


Re: Brown's Cabinet (#7)

by Oz on Sat Jan 06, 2007 at 08:45:39 PM GMT

I'd like to see Straw as Home Secretary. It's a very difficult job, it's hard to find people who are good at it. Straw was much better at it than Blunkett or Clarke, so better to use him than risk someone else. I'm glad that people like Balls would be getting jobs (if this source is correct). Past failures like Clarke need to be avoided. In order to win an election, Brown needs to show that he's new and different to Blair, one way of doing this is with mostly new faces in government. Otherwise he risks the argument that it's all the same people again, and he'll be completely bombarded with all the past failures (without getting any credit for past successes, I'm afriad that's politics for you).


Re: Brown's Cabinet (#10)

by TrueLabour on Thu Jan 11, 2007 at 12:44:58 PM GMT

What about Austin Mitchell's view of the Cabinet?

http://www.austinmitchell.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=246

"Its tough at the top. Labour`s sadness is to have no-one there who`s lovable, endearing, human. Clare Short, Mo Mowlem killed off. Ever awkward Robin Cook and honest Estelle, all gone. Along with the only total ***, Mandy.

Categorise our forgettable Cabinet. Give me your views on mitchellav@parliament.uk

Messianic Shit Talkers Miliband, Benn
Boring for Britain Hutton, Darling, McNulty, Beckett
Careerist Climbers Hain, Johnson, Alexander
Passengers, Spacefillers and Lunkheads lucky to be there Hoon, Armstrong, Smith
Milk Monitors Blears and Kelly
Bouncers Prescott, Reid
Impractical Pedants Hewitt, Straw

Are these really the cream of our party?"


Re: Brown's Cabinet (#11)

by WillParbury on Fri Jan 12, 2007 at 01:33:04 AM GMT

Andy Burnham will be in there at some point.


[ Parent ]

Re: Brown's Cabinet (#12)

by pipesmoke on Sun Jan 14, 2007 at 11:20:23 PM GMT

Apart from the well trodden criticisms of the Blair years not all of which I share, there is one aspect of Blair that has consistently stunk and that has been his choices in preferment. And it is not just in his cabinet; one only has to think of Chris Woodhead, John Birt, David Mellor. When it comes to who Brown picks, I hope for just one change; that his sole criteria is whether they can do the job.


Brown's Cabinet | 12 comments (12 topical)