Some great stuff here on Gordon Brown's reshuffle and the results of the UK's local elections. Among the high/low-lights.
Posted by armand at June 5, 2009 01:03 PM | TrackBack | Posted to International Affairs17.32 Caroline Flint has launched an astonishing attack on Gordon Brown in her resignation statement. Less than 24 hours after praising the PM, and a matter of minutes after she was overlooked for promotion, she has accused him of treating her like "female window dressing". She claims he is running a "two tier Cabinet", with his cronies holding more power than other ministers.
17.28 Lord Mandelson's new expanded department will be called the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, formed by the merger of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and the Department for Universities, Innovation and Skills. He also takes the honorary title of First Secretary of State - making him the second most important man in Government.
17.19 While Brown has been speaking, local council results have been pouring in. Labour have lost power in Nottinghamshire to no overall control, although they remain the largest party. It means that Labour now runs no county councils in England.
16.47 The BBC's estimated projected national vote share puts the Tories on 38 per cent, Labour on 23 per cent and the Lib Dems on 28 per cent.
16.30 Despite the Tory gains, Sky News has calculated that the local election swing, if replicated at a general election, would give them a majority of just 24. Voters are abandoning Labour but many are seeking refuge with independents and smaller parties, rather than the Tories.