Blair Continues Ministerial Appointments
The man who masterminded Labour's successful election campaign, Peter Mandelson, has been given a key role in the government. Tony Blair has announced that Mr Mandelson (MP for Hartlepool) is appointed Minister without Portfolio. Though outside the Cabinet, Downing Street said that he will "assist in the strategic implementation of Government policies and their effective presentation to the public".
Many feel that he is likely to retain considerable influence over the Prime Minister.
In a TV interview, Mr Mandelson made plain his belief that the government of the country had lost direction in recent years and Mr Blair realised that New Labour needed to continue to focus on the project it had set itself and the pledges made.
"I think that what he (Mr Blair) will want to do is to create a strong centre in government, so that all its various arms and departments have a very clear sense of their own direction, how they are going to form part of the overall picture, so that we can very rapidly start implementing and delivering what we stood for and what we pledged to the British people," he said.
|
|
Doug Henderson
|
| |
Other Ministerial appointments include the little known Doug Henderson (Newcastle upon Tyne, North) as the prestigious Minister for Europe.
Mr Henderson flies out to Brussels on Monday to take the first steps towards the Labour Government signing up to the Social Chapter. An athlete with several marathons under his belt, Mr Henderson is little known beyond Westminster. Downing Street has made it plain that Mr Blair rates 47-year-old Mr Henderson as one of his brightest frontbenchers in a post of critical importance.
Multi-millionaire Geoffrey Robinson (Coventry North West) was appointed Paymaster General at the Treasury. Mr Robinson, a former Jaguar chief executive, will have special responsibility for the Private Finance Initiative.
Mr Robinson had been expected to win a ministerial post, adding his heavyweight business experience to the Labour team. Howevere he is likely to come in for some private sniping from Labour colleagues, who point out that he quit the frontbench 10 years ago to concentrate on building up his personal fortune while other colleagues were working hard in
opposition.
|
|
Helen Liddell
|
| |
Helen Liddell (Airdrie and Shotts), the woman who succeeded the late Labour leader John Smith as Monklands East MP was appointed Minister of State at the Treasury.
Ms Liddell worked for several years for the late publishing tycoon Robert Maxwell and is also a former Scottish Labour Party secretary. She was a Scottish affairs spokeswoman before the election.
Mr Blair had hoped to have his ministerial appointments completed by now , but it seems he will take another 24 hours before he finishes declaring his government.
See also Tony Blair's first Cabinet
|
