Gordon Brown's Cabinet

[Michael Z]

So, now that the question of Gordon Brown's premiership appears to be one of when rather than if, what do you think his cabinet will look like? Who will be his Chancellor? Will Blairites like Charles Clarke or Tessa Jowell still have a seat in the cabinet? Two names I expect to figure very highly are David Miliband and Ed Balls.

[Serenity Now]

Ed Balls could potentially be a future Chancellor. I'm don't know if there exists a term for a party (or group within it) entering a high profile member into the commons in order for them to soon take their anticipated role in the thick of government... If there is then Balls could turn out to become a prime example!

*Edited for bad articulation of a term that may not exist.

If such a word doesn't exist, then maybe we should make one up. We'll allow shamless puns on "Balls" but let's not all go nuts.

[Peter]

Alaistair Darling - likely Home Secretary

I expect Tessa Jowell to keep a spot in the cabinet, as well as Patricia Hewitt. Douglas Alexander, and a few other Ministers will certainly see promotion as well.

John Reid will get the sack, and I will be very happy for it.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Yeah, Reid is a gonner. And he knows it. He'll probably go for a suicide run against Brown in the leadership election or have a run for deputy leader; not that he'd stand much of a chance with that either (the deputy election is going to be much more interesting than the leader election...). The deputy leader will be English o/c...
If not, the first act of a Brown premiership will be to fire Reid (ala Callaghan and Castle).

I suspect he won't chance the cabinet *that* much; with a few exceptions Brown gets on *fairly* well with most cabinet members... but
Alexander will get a big post, Nick Brown will probably be back, Balls will obviously get something... the other Miliband might as well come to think of it.

[Serenity Now]

Alaistair Darling - likely Home Secretary

John Reid will get the sack, and I will be very happy for it.

We can only hope, I used to get so sick of his voice when he used to answer for the government on the Today programme, day after day after day.

[afleitch]

Too early to say. If he doesn't get the chance to run as the leader of the  until the next election campaign then he might not even become PM. It would be foolish to presume that Labour will another term. He may even have to form an alliance with the Lib Dems! He could get a majority of 200 or loose badly, we just don't know

He may be the annointed the as the next Labour leader; doesn't mean he is going to be the next Prime Minister.

[Platypus]

isnt the leader of the governing party the Prime Minister?

[Emsworth]

Yeah, Reid is a gonner.

Well, he could always be asked to return to being Secretary of State for Health!