'Not the reshuffle the PM wanted'
It was meant to be a radical to reinvigorate the Brown government but the growing mood in Westminster is that it is the reshuffle of a lame-duck Prime Minister. What is clear is that this is not the reshuffle the PM wanted.
, and, dramatically late last night, had already reshuffled themselves out of the Cabinet before Gordon Brown could sack or move them.
Then it became clear that he no longer had the authority to move from the Treasury, even though it is now pretty certain that he wanted to make Ed Balls Chancellor (he even offered Mr Purnell the Balls job at education). Suddenly The PM's options were limited and he look cribbed and confined.
Mr Darling, Mr Balls, David Miliband and Jack Straw all stay put. John Denham goes to Health, Alan Johnson (everybody's favourite caretaker successor) goes to the Home Office (a poisoned chalice if ever there was one) and Alan Sugar gets a peerage and a junior position at Business. Much ado about nothing, you might think.
It certainly doesn't reshape the Brown government in away that voters will much notice. And still things continue to unravel for the PM: as I write John Hutton, a leading Blairite, has resigned as Defence Secretary.
And theare even worse than predicted for Labour. Mr Brown has gone from crisis to deep crisis.
MESSAGE FROM THE DP TEAM: Wondering why the DP mainly looked at international affairs and the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ closed this blog - and other political blogs - on Thursday? Then click here and look at paragraph 7.1 on page 13. All restrictions are lifted now the polls have closed.
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