WHO’S WHO IN WHITEHALL – A guide to Gordon Brown’s new government
Press and Public Affairs London Chamber of Commerce July 2007
www.londonchamber.co.uk
WHAT’S ON IN POLITICS SPECIAL REPORT Updated – 3 July 2007
Who’s Who in Whitehall A Guide to Gordon Brown’s New Government Highlights y y y
y
y
Gordon Brown takes office as Prime Minister New leader conducts biggest reshuffle since 1997 The DTI becomes the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Brown creates new Department for Children, Schools & Families plus Department for Innovation, Universities & Skills out of the old DfES Jacqui Smith becomes first female Home Secretary and David Miliband becomes Foreign Secretary
Gordon Brown became Prime Minister on Wednesday hours after Tony Blair received a standing ovation following his final Prime Minister’s Questions. By late Thursday morning the names of Brown’s new cabinet colleagues began filtering out, with the virtually unknown Jacqui Smith becoming Home Secretary, and David Miliband taking over as Foreign Secretary at just 41.
CONTENTS The New Prime Minister
2
The New Deputy Leader
3
The New Cabinet
4
Winners and Losers
5
Major Players and Rising Stars 6 Analysis
10
What the Papers Say
13
Expert Opinion
15
The Full Government
18
As well as the new faces, there were changes to the machinery of government with the DTI becoming Department for Enterprise, Business and Regulation. Elsewhere the Department for Education & Skills was split in two becoming Department for Children, Schools & Families and a new Department for Innovation, Universities & Skills was also created.
LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – THE VOICE OF LONDON BUSINESS
1) The New Prime Minister Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP Prime Minister
Political Career
Date of Birth
20 February 1951
Education
Kirkcaldy High School Edinburgh University
Constituency
Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath (since 2005) (MP for Dunfermline East 1983-2005)
Majority (2005)
18,216
Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury (2007 - ) Chancellor of the Exchequer (1997-2007) Shadow Chancellor (1992-1997) Shadow Trade & Industry Secretary (1989-92) Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury (1987-89) Opposition Spokesman for Trade & Industry (1985-87) Elected MP for Dunfermline East (1983)
Profile When Gordon Brown accepted the Queen’s invitation to form a new government on Wednesday, he must have felt a great sense of relief that the ‘handover’ from Tony Blair had gone so smoothly. This was by no means guaranteed, but Brown largely managed to avoid embarrassing leaks, briefings from disgruntled Blairites or unflattering stories on the Treasury’s performance. When combined with the news that close ally, Harriet Harman (see next page) would be his new deputy and seeing his ‘job offer’ to Paddy Ashdown throw the Lib Dems into turmoil, he probably couldn’t have hoped for a better start to his summer. By all accounts Brown built on his early momentum by delivering a strong and purposeful speech outside 10 Downing Street - the first of his premiership. He emphasised change, and said he would “reach out beyond narrow party interests” and “build a government that uses all the talents”. This immediately sparked speculation that Brown’s first reshuffle would look to bring in faces normally found on the opposition benches, Lords or even business people and experts rather than politicians. In the end, this was not as radical as some had expected. Baroness Williams, a Lib Dem Peer, was asked to “advise” on nuclear proliferation, hardly a great honour, and Sir Digby Jones, former CBI Director General, was made a junior minister at the newly created Department for Enterprise, Business and Regulation. When compared with the high profile opposition appointments that French President Nicolas Sarkozy made to his government, Brown’s talk of inclusiveness looks a little unconvincing. The so-called ‘big tent’ politics of Brown’s reshuffle might be better interpreted as the new PM reaching out to figures within his own party rather than from out with his party. Although a large number of Blairites were either pushed or jumped, John Hutton, a key Blair ally kept his place in the cabinet and the up and coming James Purnell became the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. Other than the change to the DTI, the PM split the Department for Education in two and effectively created a Department for those under 19 (which went to close ally Ed Balls) and for those over 19 (that went to John Denham), a change that reflects a key Brown priority to maintain the UK’s global competitiveness.
LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – THE VOICE OF LONDON BUSINESS
2
2) The New Deputy Leader Rt Hon Harriet Harman MP Deputy Leader & Chair of the Labour Party
Political Career
Date of Birth
30 July 1950
Education
St Paul’s Girls’ School York University
Constituency
Camberwell & Peckham (since 1997) (MP for Peckham 1982-1997)
Majority (2005)
13,483
Deputy Leader and Chair of the Labour Party (2007-) Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (2007) Minister of State, Constitutional Affairs (2005-07) Solicitor-General (2001-05) Secretary of State for Social Security (1997-98) Shadow Secretary of State for Social Security (1996-97) Shadow Secretary of State for Health (1995-96) Shadow Secretary of State for Employment (1994-95) Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury (1992-94) Opposition Spokesperson for Health (1987-92) Opposition Spokesperson for Social Service (1984, 1985-87) Elected MP for Peckham (By-Election 1982)
Profile Harriet Harman has come along way since she was sacked from the cabinet in the early days of the Blair government. Ten years on from her embarrassing bust up over benefit payments at the Department of Social Security, she is now a cabinet minister with no less than four roles - Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, Chair of the Labour Party, Leader of the House of Commons and Minister for Women. She of course gained the first of her four roles on Sunday by beating Alan Johnson by just 0.8% of the vote to win the deputy leadership race. Following hot on the heels of the official results, Gordon Brown announced she would also become Chair of the Party, confirming earlier speculation that the role of deputy prime minister was to be scrapped as part of the government reshuffle. Brown, perhaps in the way of consolation, made her Leader of the Commons with the title of Minister for Women thrown in. Just as Harman must be feeling rather pleased with her four new positions, Brown must also be happy with her sudden rise to prominence. Harman is a staunch Brownite, something she made much of during the leadership campaign, and Brown will appreciate a loyal and effective supporter to martial the grassroots party faithful. However, he will hope to use their past good relations to dampen some of the left wing rhetoric that came out during her campaign such as her desire to establish a commission into the distribution of income and wealth. This is certainly not part of Brown’s master plan. Harriet Harman has this week demonstrated that is often best for a sacked or demoted Minister with a desire to return to high office to support the government and bide their time, rather than snipe from the backbenches and be consigned there forever more.
LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – THE VOICE OF LONDON BUSINESS
3
3) The New Cabinet Prime Minister
Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP
Foreign Secretary
Rt Hon David Miliband MP
Home Secretary
Rt Hon Jacqui Smith MP
Secretary of State for Defence (and Scotland)
Rt Hon Des Browne MP
Secretary of State for Health
Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP
Secretary of State for Communities & Local Government
Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP
Secretary of State for Transport
Rt Hon Ruth Kelly MP
Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP
Secretary of State for Justice
Rt Hon Jack Straw MP
Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport
Rt Hon James Purnell MP
Secretary of State for International Development
Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Rt Hon Shaun Woodward MP
Secretary of State for Work & Pensions (and Wales)
Rt Hon Peter Hain MP
Minister for the Cabinet Office
Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP
Leader of the House (Commons) & Labour Party Chair
Rt Hon Harriet Harman MP
Leader of the House (Lords)
Rt Hon Baroness Ashton
Government Chief Whip (Commons)
Rt Hon Geoff Hoon MP
Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
Rt Hon Ed Balls MP
Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills
Rt Hon John Denham MP
Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Rt Hon John Hutton MP
Also attending Cabinet Minister of State for Housing and Planning
Yvette Cooper MP
Minister for the Olympics & London
Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP
Attorney General
Rt Hon Baroness Scotland QC
Government Chief Whip (Lords)
Rt Hon Lord Grocott MP
Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN
Sir Mark Malloch Brown KCMG
NOTE: New members of the Cabinet are shown in italics. Ministers who remain in the same post as previously are underlined. Red text denotes new ministries/departments created as part of the reshuffle.
LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – THE VOICE OF LONDON BUSINESS
4
4) At A Glance: Winners and Losers Promoted
Promoted
Promoted
Promoted
Promoted
Alistair Darling
Jacqui Smith
David Miliband
Ed Miliband
Ed Balls
Promoted
Promoted
Promoted
Promoted
Resuscitated
Andy Burnham
James Purnell
Shaun Woodward
Yvette Cooper
Harriet Harman
Resuscitated
Resuscitated
Reprieved
Reprieved
Reprieved
John Denham
Nick Brown
Geoff Hoon
John Hutton
Hazel Blears
Sidelined
Retired
Retired
Retired
Retired
Ruth Kelly
John Prescott
John Reid
Hilary Armstrong
Lord Goldsmith
Demoted
Dismissed
Dismissed
Dismissed
Biographies of the major players in the reshuffle can be found below… Tessa Jowell
Margaret Beckett
Stephen Timms
Patricia Hewitt
LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – THE VOICE OF LONDON BUSINESS
5
5) Major Players and Rising Stars Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP Chancellor of the Exchequer
Age: 53
Constituency: Edinburgh South West
Having been strongly tipped as the leading contender for the Chancellor job in Brown’s new Cabinet, Darling was one of only six Ministers under Blair to have continuously served in Cabinet. Despite this however, his public recognition rating remains low. An MP since 1987, Alistair’s previous role as Secretary of State for Trade and Industry was his fourth Cabinet post, having been reshuffled from Transport and Scotland to replace Alan Johnson in May 2006. After a decade in opposition, his first Cabinet post in 1997 was as Brown’s number two, Chief Secretary to the Treasury. A year later, he was promoted to Secretary of State for Social Security (later Work and Pensions) and went on to provoke one of the biggest backbench revolts of Labour’s first term (over reforms to incapacity benefits in his Welfare Reform Bill) shortly thereafter in 1999. Despite coming under widespread criticism for only minimally raising the old age pension, he remained at DWP for four years before moving over to spend another four years as Transport Secretary. Born in 1953 and educated at Loretto School, Alistair went on to read Law at Aberdeen University. Prior to entering Parliament, he worked as a solicitor before being called to the Scottish Bar. Elected to local government in 1982, he served as a councillor until moving into national politics. Alistair has significant experience in high-level positions (with three major roles at finance- and trade-related departments) and is a long-time Brown ally, however he is widely perceived as a ‘safe’ figure.
Rt Hon Jacqui Smith MP Home Secretary
Age: 44
Constituency: Redditch
As Britain’s first female Home Secretary – and a surprise addition to Brown’s first Cabinet – Jacqui is a committed party moderniser. Although a strong Blairite, she is thought to have brokered the peace between Blair and Brown (regarding Blair’s resignation date) in her previous role as Chief Government Whip. An Oxford graduate and former economics teacher, she initially served on the Commons Treasury Select Committee after becoming a member in 1997. Jacqui then received an early promotion in 1999 to the position of junior Education Minister. After the 2001 election she advanced to become a Minister of State at the Department of Health, where she was responsible for mental health, social care and disability. In a reshuffle two years later she was moved sideways to the Department of Trade and Industry as a Minister and Deputy Minister for Women, where she published government proposals for civil partnerships. In 2005 she returned to her first department where she was appointed Minister for Schools, before becoming a Chief Whip in 2006.
LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – THE VOICE OF LONDON BUSINESS
6
Rt Hon Ed Balls MP Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
Age: 40
Constituency: Normanton
Prior to becoming an MP in the May 2005 general election, Ed Balls has previously been described as the most powerful unelected person in Britain. A graduate of Oxford and Harvard – and New Labour golden boy – Ed gave up his position as Gordon Brown’s right-hand man to become a lowly backbencher. Within a year however, he was back in familiar territory as Economic Secretary in HM Treasury, a position he has remained in to date. Having become Brown’s economic adviser in 1994 (at just 27), he is no stranger to the financial policymaking process and may be in grooming for a one-day Chancellor. After graduating, Ed took up a position as a teaching fellow at Harvard, before moving to the FT in 1990 as the economic leader and feature writer (working under Richard Lambert, the current head of the CBI). In 1994 he left to work for the then Shadow Chancellor, and with Labour’s victory in 1997 he was at the centre of influence. (His marriage to Yvette Cooper the same year further raising his profile.) From 1999-2004 he was Chief Economic Adviser at HMT and with veteran MP Bill O’Brien retiring in 2005 Ed stood and was elected to Parliament. His new Education position (Brown’s self-confessed passion) reinforces his continued proximity to the PM.
Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Age: 37
Constituency: Doncaster North
The younger of the ‘Miliband brothers’, Ed is often regarded as a rising star within New Labour. Having graduated from Oxford, he went on to specialise in Economics at the London School of Economics. After a short stint in television journalism, he moved into the corridors of Whitehall, becoming a speechwriter and researcher for Harriet Harman (in 1993) and then for Shadow Chancellor Gordon Brown the following year. Since then, he has remained working in various economic capacities. With Labour coming into power in 1997, Ed moved into a role within HM Treasury as special adviser to the Chancellor, a post he held for five years. After a sabbatical teaching economics at Harvard in 2002, he returned to become Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers at the Treasury for a year. In early 2005 he resigned from HMT and shortly thereafter was elected to Parliament. In the reshuffle of May 2006 he was made the Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office, taking on responsibilities for charities and the voluntary sector. Ed had previously Chaired the All-Party Group on youth affairs and continues to speak on investment for social and economic infrastructure. While still early on in his career, with his academic pedigree and fast rise up the ranks, Ed is clearly one to watch.
LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – THE VOICE OF LONDON BUSINESS
7
Rt Hon James Purnell MP Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport
Age: 37
Constituency: Stalybridge and Hyde
Another of New Labour’s ‘bright young things’, James was a researcher to Rt. Hon. Tony Blair during his time as Shadow Employment Secretary while still at university. An Oxford graduate, he worked for Hydra Associates as a Strategy Consultant from 1992-1994. James then moved into media and communications, working first as a research fellow on a media and communictations project for the Institute of Public Policy Research before stepping into the position of Head of Corporate Planning at the BBC, where he remained until 1997. Following Labour’s 1997 victory, James moved back into central government as special adviser to Tony Blair on culture, media, sport and technology. He entered Parliament as an MP in 2001 and waited two years for his first promotion, being appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the fast-rising Ruth Kelly at the Treasury. He then moved with her to the Cabinet Office under Alan Milburn in September 2004. After briefly serving as a Whip, he got his first ministerial job in 2005 as Parliamentary Secretary in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. A year later, he moved again, this time in a promotion to the position of Pensions Minister, where he has preformed well. Seen up until this point as a Blairite, he moved to join Gordon Brown’s leadership campaign team after Blair announced his departure – a move that is sure to have been noticed.
Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Age: 37
Constituency: Leigh
A Cambridge graduate and rising young former Whitehall policy adviser, Andy’s career began as a researcher for Tessa Jowell MP in 1994. Following the 1997 election, he was briefly a parliamentary officer for the NHS confederation before taking up taking up a post as an administrator with the Football Task Force for a year. In 1998 Andy became a special advisor to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Chris Smith, remaining in this position until his own election to parliament in 2001. Following his election, he became a member of the Health Select Committee from 2001-2003, when he was appointed the Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Home Secretary David Blunkett. A year later, following Blunkett’s first resignation in 2004, he moved to be PPS to the new Education Secretary Ruth Kelly. In May 2005 Andy got his first ministerial post in the Home Office as the junior minister, with responsibility for identity cards. After the reshuffle of May 2006, Andy left one department dogged by controversy for another, being promoted from the Home Office to a Minister of State at the Department of Health, where he took on responsibilities for service delivery and quality.
LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – THE VOICE OF LONDON BUSINESS
8
Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP Secretary of State for International Development
Age: 39
Constituency: Paisley and Renfrewshire South
A close ally and protégé of Gordon Brown’s, Douglas Alexander has climbed the Whitehall ladder fast and high, being promoted to Minister of State for E-commerce and Competitiveness at the Department of Trade and Industry after the 2001 General Election. After studies at Edinburgh and then University of Pennsylvania, Douglas worked on the Dukakis Presidential Campaign and for a Democratic Senator on Capitol Hill before returning to the UK to work as a Parliamentary Researcher and Speechwriter for Gordon Brown. A year later he returned to his native Scotland to qualify as a lawyer. After two unsuccessful attempts to enter parliament, Douglas ran a low-profile by-election campaign and was elected as a ‘clever, squeaky-clean’ young lawyer in 1997, following the death of the incumbent Gordon McMaster. Following his initial appointment to the DTI, Douglas was moved to the revamped Cabinet Office as Minister of State in May 2002. A year later he was promoted to Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, a more political, cross-departmental role reporting directly to the Prime Minister. With Alan Milburn’s return in September 2004, Douglas lost this title but was appointed Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs and, following the General Election in May 2005, was promoted to Minister of State for Europe, with a seat at the Cabinet table. He was appointed to his previous position as Secretary of State for Transport and Secretary of State for Scotland in 2006. Douglas is undeniably one of Brown’s closest aides and has written at length on Scottish devolution and the place of morality in politics. Prior to announcing his first Cabinet, Brown had already confirmed Douglas as General Election Coordinator.
Rt Hon John Denham MP Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills
Age: 53
Constituency: Southampton Itchen
John ended a six-year ministerial career in March 2003 when he resigned from the Government in protest to the plans for war with Iraq. He subsequently became more critical of the Government generally and in his non-Ministerial capacity directed his energies into chairing the Home Affairs Select Committee, carrying out inquiries into asylum and immigration, identity cards and homeland security. Elected as an MP in 1992, John fitted comfortably into Blair’s New Labour as a moderniser, joining the Opposition front bench in 1995 and becoming a junior Social Security Minister with the incoming Labour government. A year later he was promoted within the same department to Minister of State, but this was followed by a number of sideways moves as a Minister, first to Health, then to the Home Office. His subsequent period on the backbenches has been ended with the creation of the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills.
LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – THE VOICE OF LONDON BUSINESS
9
6) Analysis: All Change at the Top Gordon Brown’s first statement as Prime Minister emphasised change, a theme he has underlined with a radical reshuffle of senior figures in Government. In what was probably the most wide-ranging midterm shake up in post-war political history, just one member of Tony Blair’s Cabinet – Lord Grocott, the Government Chief Whip in the Lords – is still doing the same job he did before. Fourteen other members of Tony Blair’s top team remain in Cabinet, but all with different or amended portfolios. By contrast, when John Major took over from Mrs Thatcher as Prime Minister in 1990 his new cabinet included all but three members of Mrs Thatcher’s last administration. In fact, no fewer than 12 Cabinet Ministers remained in exactly the same posts (and all 12 would go on to keep these same portfolios until the 1992 General Election). Six members of Mrs Thatcher’s last cabinet, including John Major himself, would still be Cabinet Ministers seven years later when the Conservative Government fell. Some of Brown’s changes had been widely expected, most notably Alistair Darling’s appointment as Chancellor. A close ally of Brown with a reputation as a safe pair of hands, Darling was Brown’s first deputy at the Treasury before being moved to handle a series of difficult frontbench briefs, including Social Security (later rebranded as Work and Pensions), Transport and, most recently, the now defunct DTI. Jack Straw, who ran Brown’s leadership campaign, leaves the relative obscurity of being Leader of the House of Commons to take on the newly created post of Justice Secretary – effectively becoming the first non-peer to serve as Lord Chancellor in a thousand years. (Brown, Straw and Darling are the only members of Cabinet to have served continuously since 1997). Newly elected deputy leader Harriet Harman rejoins the Cabinet following a nine year absence, taking on the combined posts of Leader of the House of Commons, Lord President of the Council, Chair of the Labour Party and Minister for Women. Making History The big surprise of the reshuffle was the appointment of Jacqui Smith to the demanding brief of Home Secretary – the first women to occupy the post. Smith has been in the Cabinet for just one year as Chief Whip and has not previously run a department or worked at the Home Office. She did not have to wait long to face her first major test, chairing a meeting of COBRA (the Cabinet’s crisis and emergency committee) within 24 hours of taking office after a car bomb was found in Piccadilly Circus. The other big promotion of the reshuffle was the elevation of Environment Secretary David Miliband to take over at the Foreign Office, becoming the youngest Foreign Secretary since David Owen in 1977. He was joined in Cabinet by his younger brother, Ed Miliband, who was appointed Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. They are the first pair of brothers to serve together in Cabinet since 1919. Ed Balls and Yvette Cooper also made history by becoming the first married couple to serve together in Cabinet. Balls, a key lieutenant of Gordon Brown, takes on the newly created post of Secretary of State for Schools, Children and Families (effectively Education Secretary), a move clearly aimed at broadening his political experience after years focussing purely on Treasury issues. Yvette Cooper retains her post as Housing Minister but will now attend Cabinet in recognition of the increased prominence Gordon Brown plans to place on affordable housing. Cooper will now report into Hazel Blears who takes over as Secretary of State for Local Government and Communities despite finishing in last place in the recent deputy leadership contest and being seen as an arch Blairite. She replaces Ruth Kelly, who has had a troubled year in post and faced criticism for her handling of the introduction of Home Information Packs. Kelly now moves to Transport where a decision on the funding arrangements for Crossrail will be at the top of her in-tray.
LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – THE VOICE OF LONDON BUSINESS
10
Former Transport Secretary and Brown protégé Douglas Alexander now takes over at International Development as well as being responsible for planning Labour’s next General Election campaign. His responsibilities as Scottish Secretary have passed to Des Browne, who also retains the role of Defence Secretary. This has prompted Opposition jibes that Gordon Brown does not consider defence to be a full-time job. As well as Harman and Blears, three other leadership candidates change jobs within the Cabinet. Former Education Secretary Alan Johnson moves to the more challenging brief of Health Secretary. While health could be considered a poisoned chalice for most ministers, Johnson has likely been chosen because of his successful track record of diffusing tricky situations at other departments and because of close links with the trades unions. (His deputy leadership bid was backed by Unison, the largest health union). Hilary Benn takes over from David Miliband as Environment Secretary, a job that will give him a significantly boosted profile, and Peter Hain moves to Work and Pensions but retains his responsibilities as Welsh Secretary. New Ministers, New Ministries As well as personnel changes the reshuffle also saw a reorganisation of the Whitehall machine. The Deputy Prime Ministers Office was scrapped, the DTI rebranded as the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, and the Department for Education and Skills was split into the Department for Children, Schools and Families (under Ed Balls) and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, which will handle science, technology and higher education, under John Denham. A former high-flyer, in 2003 Denham was the first Government minister to resign in opposition to the Iraq war and has more recently served as Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee. The new Department for Business will be headed by John Hutton, who unexpectedly survives the purge despite being seen as a leading Blairite and having been suggested as a possible source for anonymous briefings against Gordon Brown earlier in the year. Another unexpected survivor is Geoff Hoon who takes over from Jacqui Smith as Chief Whip. Hoon was demoted to the post of Minister for Europe only a year ago after several years as Defence Secretary. Interestingly, Hoon is the first Chief Whip since Ann Taylor (1998-2001) to have previous experience in the Whip’s Office (albeit only a year spent as a junior opposition whip in the mid-nineties). He will also be assisted by former Chief Whip and arch-Brownite Nick Brown, who will serve as Deputy Chief Whip. This suggests that Gordon Brown plans to take party discipline in the Commons much more seriously than his predecessor. A host of familiar faces (including both the famous and the infamous) have departed. While many of these – John Prescott, John Reid, Hilary Armstrong and Lord Goldsmith – are veteran ministers who announced their intention to retire well in advance of the handover, a number of other ministers have been unceremoniously returned to the back benches. News that Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett, who has been in the Cabinet since 1997, and beleaguered Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt would not retain their posts was leaked to the press on Wednesday evening. One surprise casualty was Chief Secretary to the Treasury Stephen Timms, who has handled a number of senior economic ministerial posts in recent years and was seen as a figure close to the Chancellor. It remains to be seen if another senior role outside the Cabinet will be found for him. As well as sackings there was also a very public demotion. Former Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell had her department taken away and will now focus solely on the Olympics and London, although she will still attend Cabinet. Younger and Cleverer…But Fewer Scots and Women All of these departures created plenty room for younger, newer faces around the Cabinet table, reducing the average age of the Cabinet from 54 to 49. Key appointments include Andy Burnham as Chief Secretary to the Treasury and James Purnell as Culture Secretary. Both are former special advisers LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – THE VOICE OF LONDON BUSINESS
11
who entered Parliament in 2001. There was also room (but no salary) for former Conservative MP Shaun Woodward, who takes over as the unpaid Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Woodward was a Conservative MP from 1997 until 1999, when he crossed the floor to the Labour Party. He was rewarded with a safe Labour seat in 2001 and a junior ministerial job in 2005. (He was succeeded as MP for true-blue Whitney in 2001 by David Cameron no less). The reshuffle was completed with the appointment of Baroness Scotland of Asthal, who was the first black woman to be made a QC in the UK, as Attorney General and Baroness Ashton of Upholland as Leader in the Lords, replacing Baroness Amos who takes up a role as EU Envoy to the African Union. Former UN Deputy Secretary-General Sir Mark Malloch Brown has been been appointed as Minister of State for Africa, Asia and the UN at the Foreign Office and will attend Cabinet. (He is expected to be elevated to the House of Lords at the earliest opportunity). Overall, the average age of the Cabinet has fallen by five years while the percentage of senior ministers educated at Oxbridge has risen from 39 to 45 per cent (Eight are Oxford graduates and four attended Cambridge). However, the number of Scots at the top table has reduced from 5 to 4 – probably a reflection of Brown’s own sensitivity to Opposition criticism of Labour’s continued dependence on Scottish MPs despite devolution – while the proportion of women has dropped from 35 per cent to just 23 per cent.
LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – THE VOICE OF LONDON BUSINESS
12
7) What the Papers Say On Gordon Brown, Prime Minister “Gordon Brown…will be an exceptional Prime Minister.” Alistair Campbell, for The Sun “Mr Brown has pledged an end to the informal style of the Blair years.” Toby Helm, The Daily Telegraph “In his three-minute speech [prior to entering Number 10], the word “change” was repeated eight times.” Anatole Kaletsky, The Times “Mr Brown’s overriding interests, Britain’s deficient skills base and poverty, both home and abroad, are evident in the restructuring of Whitehall departments.” Michael White, The Guardian “Mr Brown's decision to keep the department [Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform] intact may owe something to his desire to cultivate closer links with the business community.” BBC News Online On Alistair Darling, Chancellor of the Exchequer “Some commentators speculate Darling will be little more than a puppet.” Ainsley Thomson, City A.M. “Mr Darling followed Mr Brown into the Treasury 10 years ago, impressing colleagues with his ability to master a complicated brief.” Nigel Morris, The Independent “Darling was a solid, well respected choice and was on a similar wavelength to Gordon Brown.” Howard Archer, Chief UK economist at Global Insight, quoted in City A.M. “He is one of a handful of politicians to serve continuously in the Cabinet since Labour’s landslide victory in 1997.” Benedict Brogan, The Daily Mail “Most [of Darling’s] tax and expenditure decisions for the next two years have already been taken.” Chris Giles, The Financial Times On Gordon Brown’s Reshuffle “His Cabinet will be a sign of how he wants to breathe fresh life into government.” George Pascoe-Watson, The Sun “Radical reshuffled Cabinet aims to restore public trust.” Andrew Grice, The Independent “Blair’s key women are on the way out as Brown freshens Cabinet with new faces.” Philip Webster and Francis Elliot, The Times “The reshuffle was the most widely leaked in memory, despite promises from Mr Brown's team of an end to spin.” The Independent Online LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – THE VOICE OF LONDON BUSINESS
13
“[Alistair Darling] as a lawyer, politician and long-serving minister, has risen smoothly to the top without putting a foot wrong.” Magnus Linklater, The Times “It would be fair to say she [Jacqui Smith] leapfrogged Hazel Blears.” Matthew Tempest, The Guardian Online “[Jacqui Smith’s] promotion from her previous role of chief whip was one of the surprises.” George Jones, The Daily Telegraph “[David] Milliband is an avowed pro-European.” Trevor Kavanagh, The Sun “[David Milliband] Together with Douglas Alexander – the new man at the Department for International Development – foreign policy is in the hands of men more sceptical about intervention.” Nick Robinson, BBC News Online “[John Hutton] once one of Mr Brown’s sharpest Blairite critics, moved to a new department for business and enterprise, carved out of the old Department for Trade and Industry.” Ben Hall, The Financial Times “[John Denham’s] department has been given the task of expanding and raising the skills of graduates and the wider workforce.” David Batty, The Guardian Online “[Peter Hain was] a surprise survivor of the ministerial cull.” Ben Hall, The Financial Times “Alan Johnson’s appointment as health secretary and Peter Hain’s shift to work and pensions signal a more union-friendly approach to management of public services.” Ben Hall, The Financial Times “Des Browne alone stays in his old job, defence, sending a signal to the armed forces that Mr Brown will not change tack on the promised reduction of troops in Iraq.” The Daily Mail Online “[Ed Balls] is Gordon Brown’s closest lieutenant and political ally.” Michael Lea, The Sun
LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – THE VOICE OF LONDON BUSINESS
14
8) Expert Opinion and Analysis A Labour Insider’s View With only one person in the same cabinet job at the start of the week as at its end, this was more a restart than reshuffle. It gave expression to Gordon Brown's determination to demonstrate that his succession to No.10 marks a genuine change in the direction and fortunes of the Government. David Miliband's promotion to the Foreign Office and the introduction to the cabinet of other members of Labour's new generation such as Ed Balls, Andy Burnham, Ed Miliband and James Purnell gives Labour a younger, fresher look, as does the appointment of the widely admired Jacqui Smith as the first ever female Home Secretary. There are four new departments and three are scrapped altogether. Most within the business community will welcome the replacement of the DTI with a more focussed Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, as well as a new Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills. I expect it to take a little longer, however, before we warm to the departmental acronyms! Ed Owen was political adviser to Rt Hon Jack Straw MP in the Home Office (1997-2001) and Foreign Office (2001- 2005) and is now Executive Director of Euro RSCG Apex Communications.
The Pollster’s Perspective All election slogans boil down to three types: ‘Let us finish what we started’, ‘Don’t let the other lot mess it up’, and ‘It’s time for a change’. Having had ten years in power already, and facing a revitalised Conservative Party, Gordon Brown will fear the potency of the third of these slogans which is why he entered Downing Street with the cry ‘let the work of change begin’. For those interested in the opinion polls (and that’s certainly every politician, whether they admit it or not) the next few months will be fascinating – and vital. Gordon Brown acceded to power facing (in the latest CommunicateResearch/ Independent poll) a 5% Conservative lead. Perhaps of even more concern is that Labour supporters are least likely to vote, with only 43% of them saying they intend to – so Gordon might be keeping his finger off the General Election button for a while yet. The Tories’ prospects are not entirely rosy either, though. David Cameron has not seen his party rise above the elusive 40% mark in any poll for months and the Conservatives are going to have to grin and bear the coming weeks’ media focus on the new Prime Minister – as well as the probability that Brown will have a high-impact first 100 days (which he has probably been planning since 1994!). And the Lib Dems have slumped down to a paltry 12% in one poll – their lowest since Charles Kennedy was ousted. Could Sir Menzies Campbell be forced to dig out his running shoes again…? The coming monthly voting intentions will make gripping reading. Gordon Brown is likely to enjoy a bounce of some sort but don’t believe talk of an early General Election unless Labour is consistently at least five points ahead of the Conservatives. Andrew Hawkins is Chief Executive of CommunicateResearch Ltd LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – THE VOICE OF LONDON BUSINESS
15
Conservative Opinion David Cameron’s Conservative team have been directing their fire at Gordon Brown for months so the Blair/Brown Prime Ministerial handover does not mark any real change in their overall political strategy. Regardless of recently spun denials, Cameron will be the charismatic “heir to Blair”, positioning the Tories on the so-called “centre-ground” of British politics, whilst Brown will continue to be depicted as a colourless “roadblock to reform”, responsible for stealth taxes and a growing monolithic state. This strategy, however, relies on Conservative competency and Brown playing ball; and if recent signs are anything to go by this reliance could be misplaced. Recent Tory own goals – on grammar schools, museum charges and the Quentin Davies defection to the Labour Party – were all avoidable. Conversely, the “clunking fist” has developed a real counter intuitive capacity to surprise and woo Middle England, especially in areas of interest to Chambers members: appointing business leader such as Sir Digby Jones and Sir Alan Sugar into key roles, committing not to increase the top rate of income tax, and creating not one but three new governmental departments with business responsibilities. All this whilst the Conservatives are calling for tax increases on private equity entrepreneurs and “standing up to business”, as David Cameron memorably put it. Going forward, the narrowing of British political discourse is likely to continue, as both Labour and Conservative parties slug it out on that centre-ground, whilst the Liberal Democrats snipe from the sidelines to pick up any scraps. The Conservatives will want the impending general election battle to be about Prime Ministerial personality, newness and a real break from the past; whilst in policy terms, they will seek to nullify any policy areas which would make them seem the old “nasty party”, stressing the panacea of “social responsibility” and their credentials on the environment, health and education. Cameron will be portrayed as strong, decisive and ready to rule to counter accusations that he is shallow, unconvincing and inexperienced. And he will attack Brown on the type of sleight of hand typified by the non tax cut in his last budget. Gordon Brown on the other hand will continue to try to surprise and make it difficult for the Cameron team to focus their fire. If anything, the Brown team are likely to accentuate Cameron’s “heir to Blair” similarities on the issue of style and trust, whilst promoting Brownian attributes of transparency in government, hard work, conviction and experience. And Brown will continue to target business stakeholders, to reduce the Conservatives’ traditional base. It all adds up to a fascinating period of politics in Britain, one all political aficionados will relish! Darren Caplan is Director of B2L Public Affairs, Brands2Life’s public affairs practice. He joined Conservative Central Office in 1997 as a staffer in the Leader’s Office, then William Hague, and a researcher to the Shadow Secretary of State for Social Security, Iain Duncan Smith. He has worked in communications and public affairs since 2000.
LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – THE VOICE OF LONDON BUSINESS
16
Liberal Democrat Analysis Brown’s Cabinet reshuffle has been an exquisite PR exercise for someone who had pledged to change the culture of spin in government. The way it has been handled with the botched attempt to seduce senior Lib Dems has attracted as many column inches as the actual make-up of the Cabinet itself, which is a shame because there are some interesting appointments. The promotion of David Miliband to the FCO signals likely changes in tone and policy in Iraq, with all eyes on troop withdrawals; while the appointment of Iraq war opponent John Denham only backs up the view that Brown is widening his circle to include previously anti-pathetic MPs. But cynics will argue that now Brown has control over the entire machinery of government, he will exert more influence, not less, over colleagues. Immediate policy challenges – such as whether to increase the period of detention without charge for terrorist suspects – will be a barometer as to whether his inclusive Cabinet acts inclusively towards opposition parties in negotiating such delicate issues. But whatever you think of the new appointments, Brown’s plethora of policy reviews and the Comprehensive Spending Review will almost certainly do more to inform the direction of government, certainly in this parliament, than a few youthful faces around the cabinet table. Olly Kendall worked for a number of prominent Liberal Democrat MPs before serving as Deputy Press Secretary to party leader Charles Kennedy between 2004 and 2006. He is now an account manager with Insight Public Affairs.
LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – THE VOICE OF LONDON BUSINESS
17
9) The Full Government The Prime Minister’s Office Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service Parliamentary Private Secretaries to the Prime Minister
Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP Ian Austin MP Angela E Smith MP
HM Treasury Chancellor of the Exchequer Chief Secretary to the Treasury Financial Secretary to the Treasury Exchequer Secretary Economic Secretary
Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP Rt Hon Jane Kennedy MP Angela Eagle MP Kitty Ussher MP
Foreign and Commonwealth Office Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Minister of State (Africa, Asia and the UN) Minister of State (Europe) Minister of State (Trade)i Minister of State Parliamentary Secretary
Rt Hon David Miliband MP Sir Mark Malloch Brown KCMG Jim Murphy MP Sir Digby Jones (jointly with DBERR) Dr Kim Howells MP Meg Munn MP
Home Office Home Secretary Ministers of State Parliamentary Secretary (Security) Parliamentary Secretaries
Rt Hon Jacqui Smith MP Liam Byrne MP Tony McNulty MP Admiral Sir Alan West GCB DSC Vernon Coaker MP Meg Hillier MP
Law Officers Attorney General Solicitor General Advocate General for Scotland
Rt Hon the Baroness Scotland QC Vera Baird QC MP Lord Davidson of Glen Clova QC
LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – THE VOICE OF LONDON BUSINESS
18
Ministry of Justice Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor Ministers of State Parliamentary Secretaries
Rt Hon Jack Straw MP Rt Hon David Hanson MP Michael Wills MP Lord Hunt of Kings Heath OBE Bridget Prentice MP Maria Eagle MP
Ministry of Defence Secretary of State for Defence Minister of State Minister of State (Procurement) Parliamentary Secretary
Rt Hon Des Browne MPii Rt Hon Bob Ainsworth MP Lord Drayson (jointly with DBERR) Derek Twigg MP
Scotland Office Secretary of State for Scotland Minister of State
Rt Hon Des Browne MPiii David Cairns MP
Department of Health Secretary of State for Health Ministers of State Parliamentary Secretaries
Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP Rt Hon Dawn Primarolo MP Ben Bradshaw MP Professor Sir Ara Darzi Ann Keen MP Ivan Lewis MP
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Ministers of State Parliamentary Secretaries
Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP Rt Hon the Lord Rooker Phil Woolas MP Joan Ruddock MP Jonathan Shaw MP
Department for International Development Secretary of State for International Development Parliamentary Secretary (Trade Policy) iv Parliamentary Secretaries
Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP Gareth Thomas MP Shriti Vadera MP Shahid Malik MP
LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – THE VOICE OF LONDON BUSINESS
19
Office of the Leader of the House of Commons Leader of the House of Commons and Labour Party Chair Parliamentary Secretary
Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP Helen Goodman MP
Office of the Leader of the House of Lords Leader of the House of Lords
Rt Hon Baroness Ashton
Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Ministers of State
Parliamentary Secretary
Rt Hon John Hutton MP Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP Pat McFadden MP Malcolm Wicks MP Sir Digby Jonesv Lord Draysonvi Gareth Thomas MPvii
Department for Work and Pensions Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Ministers of State Parliamentary Secretaries
Rt Hon Peter Hain MPviii Mike O’Brien MP Caroline Flint MP Anne McGuire MP James Plaskitt MP Lord McKenzie of Luton Barbara Follett MP
Wales Office Secretary of State for Wales Parliamentary Secretary
Rt Hon Peter Hain MP Huw Irranca-Davies MP
Department for Transport Secretary of State for Transport Minister of State Parliamentary Secretaries
Rt Hon Ruth Kelly MP Rt Hon Rosie Winterton MP Jim Fitzpatrick MP Tom Harris MP
LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – THE VOICE OF LONDON BUSINESS
20
Department for Communities and Local Government Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Minister of State (Housing and Planning) Minister of State Parliamentary Secretaries
Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP Yvette Cooper MP John Healey MP Baroness Andrews OBE Parmjit Dhanda MP Ian Wright MP
Department for Children, Schools and Families Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families Ministers of State Parliamentary Secretaries
Rt Hon Ed Balls MP Jim Knight MP Rt Hon Beverley Hughes MP Kevin Brennan MP Lord Adonis
Cabinet Office Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Minister for the Olympics and London (Paymaster General) Parliamentary Secretaries
Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP Phil Hope MP Gillian Merron MP
Department for Culture, Media and Sport Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Minister of State Parliamentary Secretary
Rt Hon James Purnell MP Rt Hon Margaret Hodge MBE MP Gerry Sutcliffe MP
Northern Ireland Office Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Minister of State
Rt Hon Shaun Woodward MP Paul Goggins MP
Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills Ministers of State Parliamentary Secretaries
Rt Hon John Denham MP Bill Rammell MP Ian Pearson MP David Lammy MP Lord Triesman
LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – THE VOICE OF LONDON BUSINESS
21
Government Whips Office Government Chief Whip
Rt Hon Geoff Hoon MP
Deputy Chief Whip
Rt Hon Nick Brown MP
Whips
Rt Hon Thomas McAvoy MP Liz Blackman MP Frank Roy MP Steve McCabe MP Alan Campbell MP David Watts MP Claire Ward MP
Assistant Whips
Siobhian McDonagh MP Michael Foster MP Tony Cunningham MP Alison Seabeck MP Diana Johnson MP Mark Tami MP Sadiq Khan MP Bob Blizzard MP Tom Watson MP Wayne David MP
Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Chief Whip Lords Chief Whip Whips
Sarah McCarthy-Fry MP Rt Hon the Lord Grocott Baroness Crawley Baroness Royall of Blaisdon Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton Baroness Morgan of Drefelin Lord Evans of Temple Guiting CBE Lord Bassam of Brighton Lord Truscott
Regional Ministers Secretary of State for Scotland Secretary of State for Wales Minister for the North West Minister for the North East Minister for the West Midlands Minister for the East Midlands Minister for the South West Minister for the East of England Minister for Yorkshire and the Humber Minister for London
Rt Hon Des Browne MP Rt Hon Peter Hain MP Rt Hon Beverley Hughes MP Rt Hon Nick Brown MP Liam Byrne MP Gillian Merron MP Ben Bradshaw MP Barbara Follett MP Caroline Flint MP Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP
LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – THE VOICE OF LONDON BUSINESS
22
Press and Public Affairs
For further information, please contact:
London Chamber of Commerce 33 Queen Street London EC4R 1AP www.londonchamber.co.uk
Dr Helen Hill
James Ford
Head of Press and Public Affairs
Public Affairs Manager
T: +44 (0)20 7203 1882
T: +44 (0)20 7203 1889
E:
[email protected]
E:
[email protected]
i
Jointly with FCO and DBERR Secretary of State for Defence AND Scotland iii Secretary of State for Defence AND Scotland iv Jointly with DfID and DBERR v Jointly with DBERR and FCO vi Jointly with DBERR and MOD vii Jointly with DBERR and DfID viii Secretary of State for Work and Pensions AND Wales ii
LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – THE VOICE OF LONDON BUSINESS
23
London Chamber of Commerce 33 Queen Street London EC4R 1AP T: +44 (0)20 7248 4444 F: +44 (0)20 7489 0391
www.londonchamber.co.uk