Brown's Cabinet--Who stays, who goes?

[matgb]

Righty ho--I said I was going to do this, but, y'know, life got in the way. So, of the current Cabinet, Blair and Prescott are retiring, and Reid says he doesn't want another cabinet job. Leaving a huge list of other people, of varying degrees of talent. Some of them I have a grudging respsct for, some I think are crap, some inspire intense

Comments

[matgb]

YEah, it looks and scans better below the poll, but makes less sense there; remember most others would see it with the LJ-cut. Meh, I've edited it up, you're right.

OTOH, whouk. Told you all the Lib Dems are Who freaks...

[burkesworks]

all the Lib Dems are Who freaks

Not _all_ of us...

[caramel_betty]

So, of the current Cabinet, Blair and Prescott are retiring, and Reid says he doesn't want another cabinet job.

Lord Goldsmith has just gone as Attorney General too. And even though he's not actually a Cabinet member, he attended Cabinet regularly.

[matgb]

Yeah, I decided not to list the people who aren't technically ministers. I suspected he'd go anyway, Brown'll want to distance himself from any potential scandal regardless.

[caramel_betty]

It also helps if the attorney general does have to decide on any cash-for-peerages prosecutions. Having Lord Goldsmith in charge of it (in theory, even if it is delegated to someone else) would just be a recipe for stupidity, so having him out of the way would help a lot.

[matgb]

That's also very true. Hmm, that might make another interesting topic for a poll; is Blair going to get charged?

[caramel_betty]

The one I find most difficult is Jacqui Smith. She's been more than a bit shit as Chief Whip. But Secretary to the Treasury means Brown probably likes her. Though she might get moved to something Cabinet but not really proper Cabinet. One of the meaningless things, like Lord High Everything Else.

[matgb]

Aye, she's one of my 'below the radar' people, but if she's Treasury then Brown must like her in some way, so I suspect a promotion to womewhere else. We'll see, I guess. Interesting times anyway...

[eldar]

Home Secretary? I know there's there's all the hoo-ha about splitting the office but John Reid isn't in the list :)

Clearly the main vacuum is going to be created by filling the position of Chancellor. My Crystal Ball says that Alistair Darling will get that job, with Hilary Benn moved up to the T&I spot.

[matgb]

Larn ta read, varmint! of the current Cabinet, Blair and Prescott are retiring, and Reid says he doesn't want another cabinet job. Leaving a huge list of other people

But yeah, absolutely, Chancellor is the big choice, I might put up a Great Offices of State poll to see what people think of them later/tomorrow as well. I'm thinking Balls might be in with a chance as well, Brown likes him.

[0ct0pus]

I'm also predicting big jobs for Balls, Ed Milliband, Harriet Harman. And smaller jobs for Angela Eagle, Toady Bryant.

[matgb]

Aye, Balls is a shoe in, and Harman will have worked her way into one from the Dep leadership campaign. Plus Cruddas as well, appears Blair's been overlooking him in terms of backbench talent.