Friday, 29 June 2007

PM to complete government changes


Gordon Brown is due to complete his overhaul of government, as well as gathering his new Cabinet for a meeting on plans for constitutional change.
Among four junior appointments expected from outside Labour later, former CBI head Sir Digby Jones is to be made minister for trade promotion.
Mr Brown is expected to present Cabinet members with constitutional plans aimed at giving more power to the public.
But the Tories and Liberal Democrats claim he will not bring real change.
Sir Digby is to be given a peerage and will have to join the Labour Party in order to serve as a minister.
'All the talents'
BBC political editor Nick Robinson says sources suggest there will be three further jobs for "outsiders" on Friday.
These follow the appointment on Thursday of former United Nations deputy secretary general, Sir Mark Malloch Brown, to a foreign office post.
Our political editor says these appointments "make a reality of Gordon Brown's promise to create a government of all the talents".
Justice Secretary Jack Straw is expected to reveal more details of constitutional change after the special Cabinet meeting.
He said: "It is about ensuring that our citizens are better represented, have a better sense of their rights and responsibilities and are able to enjoy their lives to the full inside our democracy."
'Failures'
Mr Brown's first Cabinet includes Britain's first female home secretary, Jacqui Smith, Alistair Darling as chancellor and David Miliband as foreign secretary.
Every Cabinet post except Des Browne at defence has changed hands, with seven ministers reaching the top tier of government for the first time.
There are dozens of middle-ranking and junior ministerial posts still to fill.
Mr Brown has abolished the Department for Education and Skills.
Instead, there will be one department dealing with children, families and schools and another for universities, science and skills.
Meanwhile, the Department for Trade and Industry is being replaced by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
Shadow chancellor George Osborne said: "He [Mr Brown] may have moved people around the Cabinet table but there are remarkably few new faces."
Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell called for a change of direction, not just a change in personnel, adding: "Gordon Brown and his 'new' Cabinet cannot escape the last 10 years. Labour's failures are their failures too."

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