Tuesday, July 03, 2007

LibDem Reshuffle Underway

Ming Campbell has started to reshuffle his front bench, I gather. They're saying that there will be few changes. If Ming is being vicious expect Chris Huhne to be moved to a less prominent role.

UPDATE: Ming's new team has been announced. Click into the comments as someone has kindly posted them there. Demotion for Sarah Teather. Norman Baker returns. David Laws takes on schools. Er, that's about it.

28 comments:

Laurence Boyce said...

He could sack himself. That would be a good start.

Anonymous said...

When you say reshuffle, has ming just got a new pair of slippers and its shuffling around with his hot chocolate looking for someone to talk to???

antifrank said...

I almost cared about the Tory frontbench reshuffle...

Anonymous said...

Presumably Ming has had his orders from the PM.

Anonymous said...

Which Labour politicians are going to be offered a position?

Anonymous said...

I thought that moving bodies around in a cemetery was illegal?

Tapestry said...

I guess the term 'reshuffle' refers to what you do in the middle of a game of Racing Demon when everyone's got stuck.

We ought to get the Oxford English Dictionary to enlighten us.

As in this case, all the players have got stuck, reshuffle and hope to get better cards.

Gordon Brown would shuffle the pack ponderously and with great concentration on every detail, checking the count at the beginning and the end but still somehow manage to lose the Ace of Spades.

Cameron would do it slickly in croupier style (as trained in Eton gambling dens), but would so quick no one would believe he'd done it properly.

Ming would drop the cards on the floor and slowly pick them up again , hoping others would do it all for him.

Anonymous said...

I suppose zimmer frame and shuffle go together nicely...

Anonymous said...

I believe the deckchairs on the titanic were also famously re-shuffled.

Anonymous said...

Lay off Ming!!

Anyone think Charles "I don't have a drink problem" Kennedy wouldn't have been squeezed too?

Chris "I'm an arrogant f**khead" Huhne would charm the masses of floating voters.

Get real. Lib Dems would have been squeezed anyway.

Ming's just an easy target.

Anonymous said...

Reshuffle...and when the music stopped the old duffer found himself alone in his bathchair with a nurse in attendance

Anonymous said...

Ming - for all the plaudits from Lib-dems - just doesn't cut it at Prime Minister's Questions.

Sorry to be agesist but he should make way for somebody more-on-the-ball. Come back Charles!

Anonymous said...

Featherstone is to be moved to become Deputy Leader with respnsibility for supplying Dim Lebs with electical goods for their homes.

Anonymous said...

Bring back 'Deoch an Doris' Kennedy, is he completely off the wagon then?

neil craig said...

Keeping Huhne on as Environment spokesman is nastier than firing him. It means he is contiuously required to support the various LD lunacies which, as an inteligent human he must know is nonsense.

Were I in either opposing party I would be keeping a record of what Huhne has said in this role to repeat it to him if he gets the top job. It should be even more embarassing than reminding Dave of what he said back when he was Thatcherite.

Anonymous said...

FULL IST IS OUT:
Leader
The Rt Hon Sir Menzies Campbell, QC, MP

Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer and Deputy Leader
Vincent Cable MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Michael Moore MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor
David Heath MP

Shadow Secretary of State for the Home Department
Nick Clegg MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
Nick Harvey MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Health
Norman Lamb MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Chris Huhne MP

Shadow Secretary of State for International Development
Lynne Featherstone MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Lembit Öpik MP

Shadow Leader of the House of Commons and Party President
Simon Hughes MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Danny Alexander MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
Susan Kramer MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
Andrew Stunell MP

Liberal Democrat Chief Whip
Paul Burstow MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
David Laws MP

Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office; and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Norman Baker MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport; and Olympics
Don Foster MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Scotland
Alistair Carmichael MP

Leader in the Lords
The Rt Hon Lord (Tom) McNally

Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Julia Goldsworthy MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills
Sarah Teather MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Wales
Roger Williams MP

Also attending as members of the Shadow Cabinet

Lords Chief Whip
Lord (David) Shutt of of Greetland

Shadow Attorney General
Lord (Martin) Thomas of Gresford

Shadow Minister for Housing
Paul Holmes MP

Shadow Solicitor General
David Howarth MP

Chief of Staff and Chair of Campaigns and Communications
Edward Davey MP

Chair of the Manifesto Group
Steve Webb MP

Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Leader
Tim Farron MP

Chair of the Parliamentary Party
To be elected by the Parliamentary Party

Anonymous said...

anon 3.59

What a gloriously underwhelming list. Am I supposed to know whether any of these "shadow" ministers (who are they kidding?) have now changed jobs? Am I supposed to care?

Anonymous said...

Erm.. any Limpdim MPs NOT in the Shadow Cabaret?

Anonymous said...

Sarah Teather should loose her job - she's just plain fucking awful!

Lembit Opik should go to. It seems that his private life is more interesting than his political life, and when that happens it's not a good sign.

Also he's a total tosser!

Ross said...

Norman Baker, strikes me as being a lunatic and fantasist. Putting him in such a central role is wonderful providing you aren't a Lib Dem.

Anonymous said...

"Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Michael Moore MP"

I consider myself a reasonably close observer of the political scene and I can honestly say I have never heard of this man, appointed to (or already in) a top 4 role. Unless it's that American who writes anti-Bush books - in which case he might be a good choice.

Anonymous said...

Norman Baker, strikes me as being a lunatic and fantasist. Putting him in such a central role is wonderful providing you aren't a Lib Dem.

More Baker madness here

Anonymous said...

Gosh is that a promotion for Lynne Featherstone ? And is Sarah Teather 'going down' ? Hmm..Don't mind if I do..

Anonymous said...

Aw, poor Sarah! *chortle*

Chris Paul said...

Shuffling his ample deck of cards. Mostly jokers. Speaking with partner I wondered aloud and as a joke whether Ming had found a job for the miserable Hospital Hoaxer John Leech. Partner thought I said Hooch.

He is a great dog, with broad shoulders, and a better bet than Mr Leech for a Mimicster post, but sadly the call never came.

Anonymous said...

Small revolution in minor political party; not many dead.

Anonymous said...

Norman Baker, Shadow Culture, Media & Sport and Olympics. What a stunning appointment given to someone who is obsessed by conspiracy theories and who loathes almost anything that is enjoyable !

Anonymous said...

Anon 7:08

Sarah Teather doesn't have very far to go down ...

Alex B

Sarah Teather is not plain ****ing awful. She is awful in some very complicated, intelligent ways. She is very bright in person, but a really bad politician.