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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Gaby Hinsliff

Cabinet reshuffle: mystery over Margaret Beckett

Margaret Beckett back as minister for the Today programme, like the trouper she is?

Confusion still surrounds what's going on at the Cabinet Office, the nearest thing we have to a Prime Minister's Department, which now appears stuffed with people but short of a clear pecking order.

Intelligence so far suggests Beckett at the top of it in the sort of enforcer/government coordinator role previously talked of as a natural berth for Jack Straw or Alan Johnson - basically going on the telly whenever Labour's in trouble and doing her trademark faintly exasperated interview, in which she rolls her eyes and tells John Humphreys/Jeremy Paxman/whoever to calm down.

Plus Liam Byrne in a junior Cabinet Office role, overseeing cabinet committees etc etc, mastering detail and driving through policy.

Interesting though that four hours after it started we're still not totally clear who's where however - which suggests something, somewhere is not going quite to plan ...

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