Ministerial hopefuls await Brown’s call
The full list of talents governing Britain will be unveiled today, as Gordon Brown names his junior ministers.
Jim Murphy was appointed minister of state for Europe last night, after his predecessor Geoff Hoon became chief whip.
Mr Murphy will work under David Miliband at the Foreign Office and will face an early challenge rebutting Tory calls for a referendum on the EU treaty.
Admiral sir Alan West will join the Home Office as parliamentary under secretary with responsibility for security.
Sir Digby Jones, former head of the CBI, has been appointed minister for trade and investment.
He said he is looking forward to “banging the drum for British business of all sectors and sizes all over the world.”
Professor Sir Ara Darzi has been brought into the Department of Health as a parliamentary under secretary.
The surgeon will work with health secretary Alan Johnson to improve patient care, increase the convenience of care services and rebuild partnerships with NHS staff and patients.
Shriti Vadera has been appointed parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department for International Development after working with the Mr Brown last year on education.
She will advise the governments of developing countries on debt restructuring.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell publicly rebuffed Mr Brown’s offer of government positions for senior Liberal Democrats, but Lib Dem peers have accepted advisory roles.
Baroness Neuberger, who speaks on health for the Liberal Democrats, will advise the prime minister on volunteering and human rights campaigner Lord Lester will advice Jack Straw on constitutional reforms.
Lord Stevens, the former head of the Met police, will become the prime minister’s senior advisor on international security issues.
Mr Brown has also announced a comprehensive list of regional ministers.
Nick Brown will become minister for the north-east, Beverley Hughes for the north-west, Caroline Flint for Yorkshire and Humber, Ben Bradshaw for the south-west, Gillian Merron for the east Midlands, Liam Byrne for west Midlands and Barbara Follett minister for the east of England.
After being demoted from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Tessa Jowell has been named minister for London and for the Olympics. She will be allowed to attend Cabinet meetings.
Sir Malcolm Rifkind was also rumoured to have been offered an influence in the government but last night robustly rejected that suggestion.
The former Conservative foreign secretary said he has not been approach by the prime minister and had no interest in joining his government.
Appearing on BBC’s Newsnight, Sir Maclolm said Mr Brown was only bringing in appointees from outside Labour to create a sense of change between him and Tony Blair.
He said those accepting positions were “idiotic and naïve” and joked that Mr Brown was adopting a “pretty radical way” of reversing the Labour party’s declining membership.
