It would seem that Brown is purging women from the Cabinet. I do hope he addresses this by appointing others.

Brown has proposed Baroness Amos for the role of EU special representative to the African Union.

I'd like to see Emily Thornberry and Dawn Butler promoted. Yvette Cooper is underutilised. Gill Merron has a lot to offer and a personality that the public would love. And there are more besides. Of course not everyone is either on course or suitable for the cabinet, but I think Gordon should take the opportunity to "bring on" those people of talent on the backbenches or lower ministerial rungs.

One thing I always hate to see is women promoted to the perceived "girly" portfolios like health and education.

I would expect to see a fairly substantial promotion for Hazel Blears as well. Maybe all the way into one of the Home Office posts as she was previously there.

There are a number of good women candidates for any of the top posts, and I am sure that Gordon will be conscious of this. It'll be interesting to see just who stays around in the next few days.

"Already, it seems that Baroness Amos, Patricia Hewitt "  <br> <br>

It seems that Hewitt has been offered a new department but turned it down for personal reason (she has a 90+ years old mother living in Australia). She will now chair a group to draw up Labour policy on Europe for the next election.

Watch out for Angela Eagle, she may not make a cabinet post this time round, but it's only a matter of time.

According to Sky Miliband will become Foreign Secretary and Douglas Alexander International Development Secretary

I think the government should include Tony Lloyd, Peter Kilfoyle, John Denham, Jon Cruddas, Jon Trickett and Chris Mullin.

Denham and Jacqui Smith are being tipped for the Home office. I don't think Milliband as foreign secretary is a good choice.

Looks like Johnson in Health, Hain in Work & Pensions and Douglas Alexander at DfID

Miliband as Foreign Secretary could be better than some here think.
If Brown's Foreign Policy approach is going to be based more on economics, better to have a For. Sec. well versed in the subject.

According to Sky: Benn at Environment and Purnell at Culture

so far - & Sky & BBC confirm Smith at Home Sec

Gordon Brown                 ;       Prime Minister
Harriet Harman               &nbs p;      Leader of House of Commons
Alisdair Darling                 &nbs p;     Chancellor (TBC)
Jacqui Smith                 &nbs p;           Home Secretary

John Hutton                 &nbs p;          Business & Enterprise
Peter Hain                 &nbs p;             Work & Pensions
James Purnell                 &nbs p;        Culture
Hilary Benn                 &nbs p;           Environment

dti faces oblivion? Isn't that Liberal Democrat policy?

What's the point of splitting the Education Department in two? It just makes government more complicated than it needs to be.

And where's Tessa Jowell? She was one of the few top women who actually seemed normal and now she's been kicked out where as Ruth Kelly stays in. Bizarre.

Transport has been one of the failiures of this government. So why are we putting a failiure in charge of it?

Shaun Woodward as North Ireland Secretary

Denham is back - Highed Education and Skills

Full cabinet list now on

http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/Page12165.asp

Interesting section: 

<h2> </h2><h2>Also attending Cabinet </h2><h3>Minister for the Olympics and London and South East</h3>

The Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP

<h3>Minister for Housing</h3>

Yvette Cooper MP

<h3>Minister for Africa, Asia and UN</h3>

Mark Malloch-Brown

<h3>Parliamentary Private Secretaries to the Prime Minister</h3>

Ian Austin MP

Angela E Smith MP

Not very impressive I have say.  It seems that Brown has just changed the same faces around into new roles.  Some of the thinking just seems plain shambolic and I fear we will see the repcussions in the months ahead.  It was often said that Blair botched his reshuffles, but I fear Brown has done the same.  It seems pretty crazy that the Brown camp had not planned out the reshuffle in advanced and were still sorting it out yesterday, what has he been doing in this so-called 'transition'?  It does not bode will for the upcoming 100 days.  Jacqui Smith's promotion seems to be on the bases that she is a woman, everytime i've seen her on TV she has not been on top of her brief.  She could be an absolute disaster.  How the hell Peter Hain has remained in Cabinet is beyond me, and in the post of Work & Pension's I can hardly see him pushing through controversial welfare reform.  Splitting up the Education department seems a complete and utter waste of time, was their anybody in the education world actually advocating this?  Most Whitehall experts said there was a case for abolishing the DTI and creating a Nations department to incorporate the Scottish/Welsh/NI departments.  Brown just seems to have confused the situation.  The few positives are Miliband at the Foreign Office, and Denham returning to the Cabinet (but would it have not been better for him to goto the Home Office?).  Harman actually being given a Cabinet job is bloody laughable as well.

• Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform?
• Department for Children, Schools and Families?
• Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills?

• Minister for the Olympics and London and South East?
• Minister for Africa, Asia and UN?

Here we go. Waiting the junior minister positions, we have the full list of Cabinet ministers.
I think some people here are as usual a bit too "hard" with Brown.
I think it's normal to see some old faces being moved around......unless if you sack half of the previous government.
Jacquie Smith is maybe the main surprise. I'm not sure, I don't think she has been tested so much so far (she was good in getting the Civil Partnership through the Commons when she was junior minister for equality and as Chief Whip she did a better job than Hilary Armstrong. However Home Office is a very difficult department (just look at all the troubles her predecessor had) .
Happy to see Denham back. Deserved comeback for him.
Surprised to see Timms sacked.
I didn't expected Shawn Woodward getting a Cabinet Position.
The Education split....it's not uncommon in some mainland countries (not that it's a necessary thing though). The "London and South East" thing for Jowell looks unnecessary....ok, give her the responsibilities for the Olympics, but why South East? Now South West can ask for a minister too!

Why is there a Tory in the cabinet? Shaun Woodward is a joke.

After the regional ministers, other junior ministers positions are being announced:

Jim Murphy MP as a Minister of State (Europe).

Rumour tonight is that Digby Jones will get a peerage and a job and that the junior ranks is where some of the other non-Labour people will turn up.

I like Digby Jones, he's outspoken and business people think he's great - but he really isn't Labour, I don't think.

Stars so far for me are John Denham at Innovation and Hazel in exactly the right job at Communities.

Have to ask, like everyone else -

WHAT HAPPENED TO STEPHEN TIMMS? He's a nice guy, a very competent, high flying minister, gets on well with Gordon, is widely respected and should be in the Cabinet.

Instead he appears to be out of a job or a MoS at most.  

WTF?

Why in the name of God is Margaret Hodge still a Government Minister?

I am unhappy, to put in mildly.

I didn't think it possible that I could be nostalgic for Blair.

This government is a dog's breakfast.

Paul Flynn has a most amusing blog on how boring various new ministers are, from John Hutton up to the good humoured Lord Grocutt!