Forgetting for a moment that any Cabinet led by Gordon Brown is hardly a fantasy come true, who do you think will fill the slots I identify below...
Deputy Prime Minister: Jack Straw (and Leader of the House, Howe-style).
Chancellor: Alistair Darling
Foreign Secretary: Hillary Benn
Home Secretary: Alan Johnson
What to do with David Miliband?: Head of bigger Environment Ministry
Surprise appointment: Neil Kinnock (don't know what to).
Neil Kinnock would be interesting. I guess Brown knows that without Kinnock's efforts in the 80s New Labour would never have happened and he would never have got to Number 10.
Posted by: Peter Kingsman | June 25, 2007 at 12:26
I don't think Neil Kinnock would be a surprise appointment - he's been trailed as a potential Leader of the House of Lords for weeks.
What would be a surprise could be Kinnock as Deputy Prime Minister - like Whitelaw, safely in the Lords, as an elder statesman advisor figure posing zero threat to the PM in terms of being a potential rival.
My prediction for a surprise appointment if Brown is brave enough - excellent for the country but bad for David Davis - John Denham as Home Secretary...
Posted by: Andrew Bonar Law | June 25, 2007 at 12:37
Minister for communications ... Michael Portillo.
Minister for dead-eyed blethering for Grauniad Wimmin ... the Hon. Harriet Harmperson.
Minister for forming a delicate 'mou' with his mouth and looking petulant ... David Millipede
Minister for northern isshoos/coming quite close in the deputydawgship but not close enough to demand anything important ... Alan Jonson
All other ministers for everything, to prove Gordon not the vanguard of some dour scottish miserabilist tendency ... anyone with RP voice and an English constituency.
Gordon's not at home to anyone closely identified with his failed policies of the last ten years, so goodbye Jowell (please open a book on how long it takes for her to reunite with her husband), that lovely woman from Health who always makes you feel good, Becket (not waiting for Godot any longer, Margaret -- the caravan is moving on) the sleazemeister general Goldfinger QC, etc.
Position for Neil Kinnock. He must be the PM's roving ambassador for Europe. If anyone can sell the benefits of the Eurosludgefest to a disinterested populace, it is surely Kinnock? "I was just another failed leader of a socialist revolution, more or less washed up, when a quick dose of euro-salts left me feeling brighter, bouncier, erm, richer than I had ever felt before!". A reader writes ... It's true - I never knew what the EU was for before Neil was promoted to his position of Chief Suppressor of Audit Irritations ... now I'm really rich too! Yours ever, Mrs Kinnock.
Posted by: Graeme Archer | June 25, 2007 at 12:45
A Tory's fantasy Brown Cabinet:
DPM: Harriet Harman
Foreign Sec: Peter Hain
Home Sec: Des Browne
Chancellor: Ruth Kelly
Education: Patricia Hewitt
Health: John Reid back again
Back to reality...
Benn a good bet for Foreign Office, Straw for Justice, Darling (gnash teeth) seems certain for Chancellor - but how about Stephen Timms as an outside surprise? (Though Brown may be wary of Major's mistake in overpromoting Lamont from Chief Sec.) Johnson for Home if Denman unavailable/declines. I would get rid of Hain to Defence, and park Des Browne (if he really has to remain, being a friend of Brown) safely out of harm's way in N Ireland.
Posted by: Andrew Bonar Law | June 25, 2007 at 12:49
He'll keep his old treasury team on-side (they know too much), so expect promotions for Stephen Timms, Dawn Primarolo, John Healey and, of course, Ed Balls.
Posted by: Mark Fulford | June 25, 2007 at 12:59
He'll keep his old treasury team on-side (they know too much), so expect promotions for Stephen Timms, Dawn Primarolo, John Healey and, of course, Ed Balls
Hmmm - the headline "Healey is Chancellor" could seem a bit of a throwback...?
Posted by: Andrew Bonar Law | June 25, 2007 at 13:02
Prime Minister and Labour Leader: Gordon Brown
First Secretary of State, Party Chair, Minister for the Family & Deputy Labour leader: Harriet Harman QC
Chancellor of the Exchequer: Alastair Darling
Chief Secretary to the Treasury: Ed Balls
Secretary of State for Trade & Enterprise: Dawn Primarolo
Secretary of State for Environment & Energy: David Miliband
Secretary of State for Transport & Scotland: Douglas Alexander
Secretary of State for the Home Office: Hazel Blears
Secretary of State for Justice: ?
Secretary of State for Defence: Patricia Hewitt
Secretary of State for Work & Pensions: John Hutton
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council: The Rt Hon Baroness Amos
Leader of the House of Commons: Jack Straw
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland & Wales: Stephen Timms
Secretary of State for Health: Caroline Flint
Secretary of State for Foreign Affair: Hilary Benn
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster: Styephen Byers
Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport: Tessa Jowell
Secretary of State for International Development: Yvette Cooper
Communities and Local Government Secretary: Phil Woolas.
Secretary of State for Education & Skills: Ruth Kelly
Labour Chief Whip: Alan Johnson
I reckon Parmjit Dhanda will be promoted to a Minister of State, Khalid Mahmood will probably be back as a PPS.
There'll probably be a new Attorney-General I would have thought and there would need to be a new Solicitor-General and a number of people will need to go into the government to fill vacancies of promoted PPS's and Junior Ministers. It appears that Jon Cruddas will be offered a role but might turn it down, who knows? He might be the new Paymaster General or a Minister of State for Employment or Trade or something?
Posted by: Yet Another Anon | June 25, 2007 at 13:20
Straw for Justice
Or indeed he might decide to promote Harriet Harman within that Department to the Secretary of State for Justice role?
Posted by: Yet Another Anon | June 25, 2007 at 13:23
Neil Kinnock could be appointed Minister for Hot Air. We could also see Peter Mandelson re-joining the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Deceit.
Posted by: Tanuki | June 25, 2007 at 13:43
I really couldn't see Peter Mandelson getting anything out of Gordon Brown - punch in the face perhaps, anyway he's EU Trade Commissioner for another year yet. I suppose it's conceivable that Neil Kinnock could be offered the position of Leader of the House of Lords, or maybe International Development Secretary, maybe even combined with the position of Minister for Wales? Seems unlikely though!
Posted by: Yet Another Anon | June 25, 2007 at 13:52
Kinnock for Environment: one-man windfarm.
Posted by: William Norton | June 25, 2007 at 14:25
I don't think YAA that many of the posters above are being that serious.
If they were they would have all given a senior job to the great....Geoff Hoon. Surely a paragon of ability and principle.
Posted by: malcolm | June 25, 2007 at 14:46
Prime Minister: Gordon Brown
Chancellor: Alistair Darling
Home Affairs: Alan Johnson
Foreign Affairs: Peter Hain
Health: Hilary Benn
Education & Technology: David Miliband
Defence: Des Browne
Justice: Jack Straw
Party Chairman: Harriet Harman
Election Co-Ordinator: Douglas Alexander
Work & Pensions: Dawn Primarolo
Environment & Energy: Ed Balls
Transport: Stephen Timms
Local Government: Yvette Cooper
Enterprise: Ruth Kelly
Trade & Intl. Dev.: Ed Miliband
Commons Leader: Caroline Flint
Lords Leader: Baroness Scotland
Agriculture: Ben Bradshaw
Culture, Media & Sport: Hazel Blears
Northern Ireland: Ian McCartney
Scotland: Gavin Strang
Wales: Chris Bryant
Chief Sec to Treasury: James Purnell
Chief Whip: Nick Brown
Lords Chief Whip: Lord Robertson
Europe Minister: Jacqui Smith
Housing Minister: Andy Burnham
Posted by: Adam | June 25, 2007 at 14:53
How about Harold Saxon for Deputy Prime Minister? He looks like someone who could persuade voters - and far more human than Gordon Brown...
Posted by: William Norton | June 25, 2007 at 15:10
That would be 28, the Cabinet room might be a bit crowded and at least 5 would have to accept pay at less than cabinet rank because legislation does not permit for more than 23 ministers of cabinet rank.
The ladies might have to sit on someone's knee to fit in!
Posted by: Yet Another Anon | June 25, 2007 at 15:11
"The ladies might have to sit on someone's knee to fit in!"
I gather racism and homophobia aren't acceptable - what about this kind of sexism?
Posted by: passing leftie | June 25, 2007 at 16:00
The Housing and Europe Ministers wouldn't be of Cabinet rank. I don't think that the Whips are either. There's no reason that the Party Chairman and Election Co-Ordinator have to be of official Cabinet rank either. That takes the official Cabinet from 28 down to 22. Job done.
Posted by: Adam | June 26, 2007 at 12:20