1999 British cabinet reshuffle
On 25 July 1999, British Prime Minister Tony Blair held his first major cabinet reshuffle.[1]
Background
It was considered that Health secretary Frank Dobson would stand in the 2000 London mayoral election against Labour-turned-Independent Ken Livingstone.[2] But he denied accusations of him being moved out of government.[3]
Mo Mowlam expected to be replaced as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland by Peter Mandelson but this did not happen until October 1999.[4] The reshuffle was anticipated as being the cull of Old Labour and the promotion of Blairites from the 1997 general election.[5] It was reported that Alastair Campbell, Blair's Press Secretary, had influence over changes at Cabinet level.[6]
The reshuffle was delayed by a week following Labour's unexpected success in the 1999 Eddisbury by-election.[7]
Changes
- Margaret Beckett becomes Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
- The Baroness Jay of Paddington becomes Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal, Leader of the House of Lords and Minister for Women
- Stephen Byers becomes Chief Secretary to the Treasury
- Ann Taylor becomes Chief Whip, which became a cabinet position
- Jack Cunningham becomes Cabinet Office Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
- Nick Brown becomes Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
- Alistair Darling becomes Secretary of State for Social Security
- Peter Mandelson moves from being Minister Without Portfolio to being Trade and Industry Secretary
- John Reid becomes Transport Minister, which is no longer a cabinet position (although Reid will continue attending cabinet meetings)
- David Simon, Baron Simon of Highbury left as the trade minister responsible for preparing Britain joining the euro.[8]
Ivor Richard, Harriet Harman, David Clark and Gavin Strang left the cabinet
The President of the Board of Trade ceased to be a title used by the Trade Secretary
Reception
The reshuffle was described as "problematic".[9] Journalist Anne Perkins wrote in favour of scrapping cabinet reshuffles.[10]
References
- "The government team". The Guardian. 1999-07-30. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
- Watt, Nicholas; Correspondent, Political (1999-07-05). "Blair will order Dobson to block Livingstone". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
- MacAskill, Ewen; Correspondent, Chief Political (1999-07-10). "Dobson shakes cabinet truce". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
- Watt, Nicholas; Correspondent, Political (1999-07-05). "Mowlam expects Blair to move her in reshuffle". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
- Wintour, Patrick; McSmith, Andy (1999-07-25). "Purge of Labour's old faithful to make way for class of 97 in Cabinet". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
- "Smell of fear in Whitehall as reshuffle fever reaches a peak". The Guardian. 1999-07-25. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
- Ward, Lucy; Correspondent, Political (1999-07-17). "Mowlam key figure in reshuffle". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
- MacAskill, Ewen; Correspondent, Chief Political (1999-07-26). "Simon set to go in Blair reshuffle". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
- "Monitor: All the News of the World: The Sundays give their views on who should be moved in the coming Cabinet reshuffle". The Independent. 1999-07-25. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
- Perkins, Anne (1999-07-27). "It's time to scrap these reshuffles". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
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