Defence
The demise of Des Browne as Secretary of State for Defence and Scotland has
shaken the Armed Services chiefs, who had told Downing Street that it was
important to have continuity during a period of key decisions over Iraq,
Afghanistan and equipment projects (Michael Evans writes).
The feeling inside the Ministry of Defence was that their message had got
through and that Mr Browne, below, would remain at the helm.
According to officials close to the former Defence Secretary, however, Mr
Browne made it clear to the Prime Minister that he no longer felt it was
appropriate to have two portfolios. Officials said he told Gordon Brown that
the Armed Forces did not feel it was right for the Defence Secretary to
share his ministerial time with Scottish affairs.
He told Mr Brown that he would prefer to keep defence but give up Scotland.
The Prime Minister, however, offered him Scotland and Northern Ireland as a
joint ministerial package. Mr Browne rejected the offer and his Cabinet
career came to an end.
The Times estimated, on the basis of freedom of information requests to
the MoD, that Mr Browne was having to spend between 15 per cent and 20 per
cent of his time on Scottish matters, including visits to Scotland, heading
up debates in the Commons and holding meetings with officials from the
Scottish Office.
There were even reports that Mr Browne’s health was suffering because of the
pressure of the work, although he had recently started going to the gym.
Military chiefs were keen to keep Mr Browne because defence is a big and
complicated brief and now they and senior civil servants will have to
arrange familiarisation visits for the new Defence Secretary to Iraq,
Afghanistan and other key areas.
Two issues, in particular, will now have to be placed in the hands of the new
man, John Hutton - the drawdown timetable for Britain’s troop presence in
southern Iraq, and key decisions required on the equipment programme.
Europe
Gordon Brown was asked if he could appoint a woman to replace Peter Mandelson
in Brussels to help to improve the gender profile of the European Commission
(David Charter writes).
Mr Brown, who did not want to appoint an MP and risk another by-election
defeat, obliged by appointing 52-year-old Baroness Ashton of Upholland, the
former leader of the House of Lords.
Lady Ashton made a secret visit to Brussels on Tuesday and Mr Brown won
agreement from the President, José Manuel Barroso, that she would inherit
the trade job. She will bring the number of female commissioners to ten out
of 27.
Lady Ashton must undergo a grilling by MEPs before taking up a post in which
her predecessor failed in his main objectives: a world trade deal; Russian
membership of the World Trade Organisation; and a level playing field for
trade relations with China.
Although it is only a temporary job, lasting until the end of the commission’s
five-year mandate next autumn, she will undoubtedly last longer than she did
as Farming Minister after Tony Blair’s summer 2006 reshuffle. She refused to
accept the role as a part-time adjunct to her post overseeing human rights
and civil justice policy at the Department for Constitutional Affairs and
quit after four days.
Born Catherine Ashton in Upholland, in Lancashire, she studied economics at
London University before joining the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament where
she worked from 1977-79 as an administrative assistant, becoming an elected
vice-president after she left.
She became a Labour peer in 1999. Married to the journalist and pollster Peter
Kellner since 1988, she has two children and three stepchildren.
Lady Ashton will have to grapple with the difficult issue of trade relations
with China.
Energy
Ed Miliband, 38, the Foreign Secretary’s younger brother and one of the Prime
Minister’s closest confidants, is to lead a new department of energy and
climate change. The decision to create the department was welcomed by
environmentalists, who described it as a positive sign of a more coherent
approach to tackling global warming.
Energy is currently part of the Business Department and climate change is the
responsibility of the Department of Environment.
Mr Miliband will be under pressure to ditch plans for a new coal-fired power
station in Kent.
He has spent much of the past 12 months behind the scenes advising the Prime
Minister and helping to draw up the manifesto for the next general election.
In his new role, he will have cross-Whitehall responsibility for managing
carbon budgets and ensuring that targets to cut emissions are delivered in
the public and private sector.
Regarded as affable and articulate, Mr Miliband has had a meteoric rise,
appointed to the Cabinet last year after being an MP for Doncaster North
just two years. Like his older brother, David, Mr Miliband studied politics,
philosphy and economics at Oxford.
The Party
Gordon Brown moved to reassert his authority among Labour MPs by returning
Nick Brown, one of his longest serving allies, to the post of chief whip
(Sam Coates writes).
In a surprise move the position will no longer be a full member of the Cabinet
- effectively demoting the office. Instead Mr Brown will have the right to
attend Cabinet.
The decision not to give him the status or salary of his predecessor will be
seen as a recognition that Nick Brown is not universally popular within the
party.
He first became chief whip in 1997 when Tony Blair entered office, but was
moved a year later. He became Minister for Agriculture, where he stayed
until 2001 before taking the rap for the foot-and-mouth debacle.
MPs said yesterday that the move would bring Downing Street closer to the
whips’ office, suggesting Mr Brown would be better able to stand up to the
Prime Minister than his predecessor. Rebel MPs were quick to praise the new
chief whip as a “master of the dark arts” and “worthy opponent”.
Women
There will be five women in Gordon Brown’s new Cabinet after the departure of
Ruth Kelly (Emily Gosden writes). Baroness Royall of Blaisdon takes over
from Baroness Ashton as Leader of the House of Lords; Jacqui Smith, Harriet
Harman, Hazel Blears and Yvette Cooper remain in their posts.
Margaret Beckett will be able to attend all Cabinet meetings.
Mrs Beckett, below, inherits the role of Housing Minister from Caroline Flint,
who may now attend only when her new portfolio is discussed as Minister of
State for Europe. Tessa Jowell and Baroness Scotland of Asthal are also
demoted from full-time to part-time attendees while Beverley Hughes, the
only woman previously attending part-time, retains the same arrangement.
Although Mr Brown made Jacqui Smith the first female Home Secretary he has
not concerned himself with numbers of women to the same extent as his
predecessor. He may feel that with impending recession it is less important
- to himself and, perhaps, voters - to see lots of female hands among those
on deck.
At a glance
In
Peter Mandelson EU Trade Commissioner becomes Secretary for Business,
Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Margaret Beckett Backbencher becomes Housing Minister
Stephen Carter Prime Minister’s aide becomes Minister for
Communications, Technology and Broadcasting in the Lords
Paul Myners Chairman of Guardian Media Group becomes Minister for the
City in the Lords
Out
Ruth Kelly (former Transport Secretary)
Lord Jones of Birmingham (former Trade Minister)
Des Browne (former Scotland and Defence Secretary)
Baroness Ashton of Upholland (former Leader of the Lords. Replaces Mr
Mandelson)
Moved
John Hutton From Business Secretary to Defence Secretary
Ed Miliband From Cabinet Office Minister to Energy and Climate Change
Secretary
Geoff Hoon From Chief Whip to Transport Secretary
Liam Byrne From Immigration Minister to Cabinet Office Minister
Jim Murphy From Europe Minister to Scotland Secretary
Caroline Flint From Housing Minister to Europe Minister
Tony McNulty From Home Office Minister to Pensions Minister
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon From Chief Whip in the Lords to Leader of
the Lords
What more appropriate than a woman to replace Mandelson.
Brian P O Cinneide, eThekwini, Afrika Borwa