- 2006 United Kingdom Cabinet reshuffle
Following poor results for the Labour Party in the local elections in
England on4 May 2006 , British Prime MinisterTony Blair held a Cabinet reshuffle the following day.Changes
ecretary of State for the Home Department
John Reid moved from Defence to become the new Home Secretary, following Blair's decision to remove
Charles Clarke from the position. Clarke refused the offer of other Cabinet positions and has returned to the back benches. This is John Reid's ninth cabinet position in nine years.ecretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Margaret Beckett , previouslySecretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs , was promoted to become Britain's first ever female Foreign Secretary, replacing Jack Straw. Straw had held the prominent position from 2001 and was heavily involved in theWar on terror . Straw's departure from his role as Foreign Secretary had not been widely predicted, but the move apparently came at his own request for a change following nearly a decade of service in front-line positions in the Cabinet, first asHome Secretary and then as Foreign Secretary [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/labour/story/0,,1768251,00.html] although others have argued that Straw was sacked for his growing allegiance with Gordon Brown and dismissal of military action against Iran. [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2168948,00.html] Straw becameLeader of the House of Commons andLord Privy Seal , and also took over responsibility forreform of the House of Lords andpolitical party funding .Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State
John Prescott remained asDeputy Prime Minister andFirst Secretary of State , but was stripped of all the departmental ministerial responsibilities formerly associated with the office, apparently at his own request, following the revelation that he had an affair with his secretary. These responsibilities were taken over byRuth Kelly under the new title ofSecretary of State for Communities and Local Government .Leader of the House of Commons, Lords Reform and Party Funding
Jack Straw, formerly
Foreign Secretary , took over the leadership of the house of commons and thesinecure office ofLord Privy Seal fromGeoff Hoon (who becameMinister of State for Europe ). Responsibility forReform of the House of Lords andpolitical party funding was transferred from theSecretary of State for Constitutional Affairs .ecretary of State for Trade and Industry
Alistair Darling , formerly both theSecretary of State for Transport and theSecretary of State for Scotland , replacedAlan Johnson as theSecretary of State for Trade and Industry . Johnson was moved to becomeSecretary of State for Education and Skills .Cabinet Office and Social Exclusion Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Hilary Armstrong moved from her former function asChief Whip andParliamentary Secretary to the Treasury to becomeMinister of State for theCabinet Office and for "Social Exclusion". She also filled the traditionalsinecure office ofChancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which had been vacant since John Hutton was promoted to replaceDavid Blunkett asSecretary of State for Work and Pensions in November 2005.ecretary of State for Education and Skills
Alan Johnson , formerlySecretary of State for Trade and Industry , became the newSecretary of State for Education and Skills . He replacedRuth Kelly , who moved to the new office ofSecretary of State for Communities and Local Government .ecretary of State for Communities and Local Government
Ruth Kelly , formerlySecretary of State for Education and Skills , became the newSecretary of State for Communities and Local Government . This department took over some functions from the Home Office and the Department for Trade and Industry, especially connected with equality legislation, but the bulk of the department was made up of the formerOffice of the Deputy Prime Minister , which was run byJohn Prescott before he lost his departmental responsibilities in the reshuffle, and also takes over the responsibilities ofDavid Miliband , formerMinister of State for Communities and Local Government .ecretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
David Miliband moved from his position in the Cabinet asMinister of State for Communities and Local Government to become the newSecretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs . He replacedMargaret Beckett , who was promoted to becomeForeign Secretary .ecretary of State for Defence
Des Browne replaced John Reid asSecretary of State for Defence . He was previouslyChief Secretary to the Treasury , another Cabinet position. Reid was promoted to becomeHome Secretary .ecretary of State for Transport and Secretary of State for Scotland
The roles of
Secretary of State for Transport andSecretary of State for Scotland were filled byDouglas Alexander . Both of these positions were formerly heldojkiAlistair Darling , who becameSecretary of State for Trade and Industry .Minister without Portfolio and Party Chairman
Hazel Blears replacedIan McCartney asMinister without Portfolio andParty Chair . McCartney was demoted to becomeMinister of State for Trade , attending the Cabinet, but not actively voting in it.Chief Whip and Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
The new
Chief Whip andParliamentary Secretary to the Treasury isJacqui Smith , replacingHilary Armstrong . Smith was previouslyMinister of State for Schools in theDepartment for Education and Skills . Armstrong became toMinister of State for theCabinet Office and for "Social Exclusion", andChancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Stephen Timms was promoted to Cabinet rank to become the newChief Secretary to the Treasury , replacingDes Browne . Timms has served in the Treasury twice before, in the more junior office ofFinancial Secretary to the Treasury , and wasMinister for Pensions before the reshuffle. This is Timms' first Cabinet appointment.Minister for Europe, attending Cabinet
Geoff Hoon , formerlyLeader of the House of Commons andLord Privy Seal , became the newMinister of State at theForeign Office responsible for Europe. Initial reports billed him as "Secretary of State for Europe", which may have been his understanding at the time he leftDowning Street . [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,176-2168930_4,00.html] Although he continues to attend the Cabinet, he has lost his Cabinet vote, and his new position is a substantial demotion. [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/labour/story/0,,1769542,00.html]Cabinet from 5 May 2006
References
* [http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/Page9393.asp Official list of cabinet and junior ministers after the changes, from the 10 Downing Street website]
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