Philip Webster, Political Editor of The Times, says today's Cabinet reshuffle by Tony Blair sends out a clear signal that the Prime Minister is planning on hanging around, whatever Gordon Brown may think:

"It's a result designed to send out a message from Tony Blair that he sees himself going nowhere in the foreseeable future. He has moved to shore up his own position by promoting key supporters to key positions. He's either sacked or moved sideways those ministers who were causing an embarrassment - Charles Clarke and John Prescott - and demoted ministers who were seen as less than totally Blairite, such as Jack Straw.

"Personally, I'm surprised that Clarke didn't take up the offer of a different job - he was offered Defence. Mr Blair clearly wanted to keep him in the Cabinet but felt that his move was necessary to restore confidence in the Home Office.

"Overall, this was a very aggressive reshuffle with no attempt made to pave the way for Gordon Brown. The two positions that would have been seen as transitional appointments would have been Chief Whip, in charge of discipline, and Party Chairman. If Mr Blair was planning to go soon he would have consulted Gordon Brown and I'm told that the Chancellor was not consulted on either the appointment of Jacqui Smith as Chief Whip or Hazel Blears as Party Chair.

"It's a reshuffle that has left the Brownites very angry and wondering what their champion will do, whether he will take it on the chin or not. My sense is that no one really knows which way that will go.

"The Blair loyalists - John Reid, David Miliband, Alan Johnson - were all given big promotions. There was something for Brownites, I suppose, in that Douglas Alexander comes into Cabinet and Alistair Darling moves up to the DTI, but nothing really major in terms of promotion to major Cabinet posts. Des Browne got Defence but that was not a sensational promotion by any means.

"So it was a pretty tough performance by Tony Blair and one designed to show that he's hanging around. It's far too early to say, however, whether it was a brilliantly clever reshuffle or a potentially fatal one."

Times Recommends

• Milk: do we need a dairy godmother?
• DIY: the women doing it for themselves
• First double portrait of Princes unveiled