Who is Gordon Brown lining up for the major cabinet posts?

With the offical news on Tony Blair, we can start work on the people in Brown's cabinet.

Chancellor of the Exchequer - Ed Balls
Home Secretary - ??
Foreign Secretary - I believe Margaret Beckett will be replaced
Defence Secretary -Des Browne. Think he may stay.
Lord Chancellor - Lord Falconer of Thoroton. Think he will stay as well
Leader of the House of Commons - Jack Straw. As Brown's campaign manager got to think he may get a top job

Rather interestingly, in the launch of his leadership campaign this morning, he didn't rule out asking MPs from other parties to fill ministerial posts (a bit like a national unity government, where - even though the government has a majority of MPs and has not needed to enter a coalition - MPs from other parties are asked to take up government posts. The last time this happened was in World War II, I believe...)

Could be very interesting indeed. A trial (but not an official one) for a proportional representation system, perhaps, to see how well the parties would work together?

Prime Minister - Gordon Brown
Deputy Prime Minister - Peter Hain
Chancellor of the Exchequer - Alistair Darling
Home Secretary - David Miliband
Foreign Secretary - Hilary Benn
Defence Secretary -Douglas Alexander
Justice Secretary - Jack Straw
Health Secretary - Alan Johnson
Department for Work and Pensions - Ed Balls
Department of Trade & Industry Website - Ed Miliband
Leader of the Lords - Mrs Beckett
Leader of the Commons - Tessa Jowell
Chief Whip - Liam Byrne

[edit on 11-5-2007 by infinite]

infinite,

Very interested in why you see Chancellor of the Exchequer being Alistair Darling rather than Ed Balls, who has been seen as the number 2 in the the Treasury

Originally posted by Freedom ERP
infinite,

Very interested in why you see Chancellor of the Exchequer being Alistair Darling rather than Ed Balls, who has been seen as the number 2 in the the Treasury

Darling is Brown's closest ally.
He has traveled with Brown on many trips abroad, especially those with economic interest.

The whispers coming out of the Brown camp point to Darling, not Balls.

Wow infinite, that's a pretty comprehensive list there.

I consider myself pretty up on Labour politics but I couldn't/wouldn't come up with a list like that.

Got to disagree about Ed Balls tho, I've heard him described at the intellectual lynch-pin and the man most in tune with GB in the Brown Treasury team.

The only thing I can see that goes against him is his unfortunate surname!

Interesting times tho and we won't have long to wait & see now.

Originally posted by sminkeypinkey
Wow infinite, that's a pretty comprehensive list there.

I consider myself pretty up on Labour politics but I couldn't/wouldn't come up with a list like that.

Well, lets see how close I get

Foreign Secretary will be Hilary Benn. Its a dead cert. The Brown camp heavily support Benn and he has been tipped for Foreign Secretary for ages now. I would bet money on it. Same with Defence Secretary too.

8/13. Thats how many I will get right.

*bump*

less then 24 hours and we will see if my prediction is right!!



others to add to the fold

Lord Beaumont of Whitley (Green Party)
Sylvia, Lady Hermon MP (Ulster Unionist Party)
Mark Durkan MP (SDLP)
Baroness D'Souza (Crossbench Peer)

this will make up the "ministry of all talents"

Well the Deputyship isn't Infinite that's known at least...

What I find most unusual was the report last week was it about overtures to have former lib dem leader now Lord Ashdown as Northern Ireland secretary. That kind of outside party appointment normally only takes place after a general election with a coalition government not midterm as we have here. Plus it's apparent the serving leader of lib dems Menzies Campbell was also asked...

A new era in cross party government? Or such a lack of trust among the candidates in his own party?

Originally posted by kickoutthejams
A new era in cross party government? Or such a lack of trust among the candidates in his own party?

Yes, we are going back to cross party politics.

It was William Pitt the Younger who was against party politics and warned of their raise during the 1800s.

I think the best move we could make in this country is to ditch the wasteful & sterile adversarial nature of our politics, we'd all be so much better off without them.

This is IMO a great move towards that.....

......but I am pretty sure we'll not be seeing the end of all that for a long time.

But for all that it's good tho to see yet another Labour leader continuing to put into practical reality the pledge to involve members of the other political parties (at senior, meaningful and substantial levels) as has been true since 1997.

Originally posted by sminkeypinkey
But for all that it's good tho to see yet another Labour leader continuing to put into practical reality the pledge to involve members of the other political parties (at senior, meaningful and substantial levels) as has been true since 1997.

Another Tory is on his way to Labour..

Ed Balls gave clues that another two will be Labour soon.

I am very excited by the current political moves. I've seen four Prime Ministers in the 21 years of my life (blessed not to remember Thatcher )

wanna hear the current rumour?

Chris Patten for Foreign Minister...that would be a coup for Brown.

Keep it coming infinite!

Love those rumours.

Wow, wouldn't CP be a shock?

BTW thanks infinite.
You made me feel very old with that 'how many PMs have you lived under' (obviously I know I'm far from amazingly high up the possible numbers but my present 7 does seem a lot! )

The rumour is the main cabinet body, will be Labour MP's

but other government posts and junior ministers will be the "ministry of all talents". quite smart to keep the inner circle Labour.

Brown is currently reshaping some of the positions, so its likely that nothing will be confirmed to later on.

I can confirm the following; (Prime Minister's Office)

Tom Scholar, Chief of Staff and Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister.

Michael Ellam, Director of Communications and the Prime Minister's Spokesman.

Gavin Kelly Deputy Chief of Staff

Spencer Livermore, Director of Political Strategy

Sue Nye, Director of Government Relations.

Dan Corry, Head of Policy Unit

Damian McBride, adviser to the Prime Minister on political press issues.

Jeremy Heywood, Head of Domestic Policy and Strategy

Jon Cunliffe, Head of International Economic Affairs, Europe and G8 Sherpa.

Simon McDonald, Head of Foreign and Defence Policy.



[edit on 27-6-2007 by infinite]

those who are going:

Baroness Amos
Hewitt
Beckett
Blears

Peter Hain might not be there either, given that Brown approached Ashdown over his job as Northern Ireland Secretary.

We'll know by tomorrow lunchtime.

Originally posted by Ste2652
Peter Hain might not be there either, given that Brown approached Ashdown over his job as Northern Ireland Secretary.

Yep

likely to be sent to the back....poor showing in the deputy leadership contest.

Hmmmmm, I hear that there's to be a return to a genuinely 'civil service' press liason team (as opposed to the 'special appointment' type that was typified as featuring Alistair Campbell & that kind of approach).

Genuinely interesting changes of course so far (and we've so many details to hear yet).

The Beeb are saying by around 2.30pm tomorrow we'll know all the new moves (might be a couple of minor ones still out-standing at that point but that's normal enough).

I'll look forward to a few more surprises......cos it really is looking like we're going to see a few.

Good start so far IMO.

Originally posted by sminkeypinkey
Hmmmmm, I hear that there's to be a return to a genuinely 'civil service' press liason team (as opposed to the 'special appointment' type that was typified as featuring Alistair Campbell & that kind of approach).

First thing Prime Minister Brown did, was to give power back to the civil servants and removing the powers Blair gave to his Chief of staff, etc

A LibDem peer has been called for a meeting with the new Prime Minister.

Shirley Williams is the name