Band Aid Cabinet

Gordon Brown's first cabinet was called the GOAT; the Government of All the Talents. The latest would be more accurately named GOST; Government of Suspect Talent. More acronyms on the way, I'm afraid.

Bob Ainsworth's (pictured) elevation to Defence Secretary is one of several examples of very average Ministers' ability to rise under Brown, seemingly without trace.

Ainsworth was one of the first Ministers I dealt with closely and he struggled fitfully with the details of the brief on Drug Policy. My abiding memory of Bob, is of him losing his temper, addressing my very genial Geordie boss as a 'bastard' and blaming him for a mistake obviously made by Ainsworth's fellow Minister (Charles Clarke). As for his Ministerial style, one could say he excelled at the adequate.

The biggest MOG (Machinery of Government) change amidst the chaotic re-shuffle, was the creation of the 'Super' Ministry of Business, Innovation and Skills under First Secretary, Lord Mandelson. Pete clearly lives by Obama's Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel's maxim, 'never let a good crisis go to waste.'

The BIS is now a spectacular and unwieldy Department, a fine tribute to Lord M's ambition. It contains are no less than six Ministers of State (MoS) - the Cabinet Office responsible for all the radical Constitutional reform to come, must make do with just one. Many of the Ministers have dual roles in other Departments which means Mandy has spies everywhere, a joy for him. Here is the whole dreadful role of appointments.
http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page19564

There are many names here which officials must be reeling from. Angela Eagle is now MoS at GOE (Government Equalities Office). Blair appointed her to the Home Office in 2002 and then sacked her a few months later for her total inability to command the brief. Now she walks tall amongst the political pygmies. The two Phils, Hope and Woolas, keep their MoS posts despite scandal (£40k expenses) and incompetence (Gurkhas).

The most curious case in Brown's Government concerns Ivan Lewis. He was a very junior Health Minister last year but incurred the wrath of Damien 'Omen' McBride by calling for, "a new generation of political leadership." His swipe at Brown ensured the world got to know, via the tabloids, of Lewis's texting obsession with one his female staff. It was painted as a classic mid-life crisis following his marriage break up. So what should Brown do with this pestering Minister with dubious temperament? Why, promote him to FCO Minister responsible for Middle-East and counter-terrorism, of course.

There is one other aspect of Her Maj's Government which perfesctly highlights Labour's political bankruptcy which is the number of Ministers sitting in the House of Lords. Count them, twenty. Labour is turning the clock back in so many different ways; popularity at Edwardian levels, a surge in fascist support and a Government stiff with Barons.