Brown offered Ashdown a Cabinet post; Lib Dems livid

[afleitch]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6227550.stm

'Gordon Brown has been accused of "dirty tricks" by Lib Dems angry at his attempt to recruit their ex-leader Paddy Ashdown to his first Cabinet.

Lord Ashdown rejected an approach by the prime minister-in-waiting to serve as Northern Ireland Secretary.'

Hrmm. On the 'negative side', it doesn't help an incoming PM, crowned without election, implementing a programme not endorsed by the electorate in any general election to bring a party, that people didn't want in power into a position of power. On the positive it may accelarate the wane of the Liberal Democrats. Had he accepted and had the leadership been supportive or even indifferent I would have expected some 'Orange Book' defections to the Conservatives. Ah well

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I'm still a little confused by LibDem reaction to all this, although this isn't the oddest part at all. That was when Ed Davey called initial Gruaniad rumours a "smear"...

[Јas]

Is their any modern precedent for a British PM to invite a parliamentarian from another party into the cabinet outside of coalitions/national governments?

I'm a little confused as to why Brown would make such an offer, not that it would necessarily be a bad move, it just seems so unusual.

[The Man From G.O.P.]

Very interesting, very calculating, very much the sort of thing I was expecting Brown to do (not specifically this of course, but I was thinking there would be some swipe at the LD's soon)

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Why? So that if something goes wrong in Northern Ireland (as if anything ever does ) the Lib Dems can get the blame.  I doubt that there are many Labour MPs or Lords who would be interested in taking a post with such a strong possibility of being the start of political oblivion.

[minionofmidas]

Why? Because Paddy Ashdown used to be popular and is well-qualified for the job, not attributes that your typical Blair Babe (read that as gender neutral) backbencher is ever going to have.
And because it might ruffle some feathers at LD headquarters.