Gordon Brown’s Cabinet
Now we know the shape of Gordon Brown’s first Cabinet. Several key changes catch the eye, among them some influential allies of Brown - while ten of the 23 members of the final Blair Cabinet have either resigned, or been demoted/sacked.
As expected, Brown’s replacement as Chancellor of the Exchequer (Finance Minister) is Alistair Darling, who has served as a Cabinet Minister in various guises throughout the 10 years since the Labour government came to power. Political correspondent Nick Assinder describes Darling as: “[a] quiet, thoughtful MP … he can be trusted both as a safe pair of hands, but also [as] a minister who does not chase headlines.” The UK also has its first female Home Secretary – Jacqui Smith, responsible for security, counter-terrorism and response to civil emergencies; Smith is only the third woman to hold one of the four main offices of state (Prime Minister, Chancellor, Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary), and was previously the Blair government’s Chief Whip. Former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who led Brown’s leadership election campaign, becomes Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor.
But some of the most interesting changes have been made in foreign affairs. The new Foreign Secretary is David Miliband – a former policy advisor to Tony Blair and a rising star of the party widely tipped as a future leader. Miliband is perhaps the most recognizable face of a younger Labour generation (at 41, he is also the youngest Foreign Secretary for 30 years). He has promised “a diplomacy that is patient, as well as purposeful, which listens as well as leads”; indeed, rumors suggest that Miliband privately expressed considerable skepticism over the decision to go to war with Iraq (although he voted with his party to authorize the invasion). He was previously Environment Secretary, and is a vocal advocate of action to address global warming.
Not only is the new Secretary of State for International Development, Douglas Alexander (another of the younger generation), a long-time Brown ally, but his department (DfID) has also gained influence over trade policy. DfID will share joint responsibility with the newly-created Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (the Department for Trade and Industry has been axed).
An emphasis on global development is also echoed by Brown’s choice of Sir Mark, soon-to-be Lord, Malloch-Brown to be Minister for Africa, Asia and the United Nations – Malloch-Brown is perhaps best-known for his role as Deputy Secretary General of the UN under Kofi Annan, prior to which he was Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme.
Finally, other rising stars to watch include two extremely close Brown allies: Ed Balls (perhaps Brown’s closest colleague and former Chief Economic Adviser to the Treasury) who becomes Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families; and, Ed Miliband (younger brother of David and, like Balls, a long-standing Brown confidante at the Treasury) who becomes Minister for the Cabinet Office, the department responsible for coordinating work across government…
Of course, it shouldn’t be a suprise to anyone that Brown has placed strong allies in key Cabinet posts. This was the first significant opportunity to reinvigorate the Labour government, emphasising something of a break with the Blair era, and shifting the government’s direction.
Brown seems to have grabbed that opportunity with both hands.