TEEBEE->GEEBEE Clockwatch

I bet the Queen is excited about meeting GB.

Clean knickers and everything, I'll bet.

Envoy job confirmed?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6244358.stm

The job description sounds like it will keep him out of trouble and maybe get him a nobel peace prize whilst not really having much of an influence on events.

So Is he going to be Lord Blair of Sedgefield soon? (Is this the real reason for lords reform delays, so he can get a gong?)

T/S Comedy Nobel Peace Prizes: Kissinger vs Blair

One for every generation, those swedes and their crazy sense of humor.

I'm still hoping for the Deacon Blair thing to come true.

A source for this rumour?

www.private-eye.co.uk

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=461032&in_page_id=1811

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23400009-details/Blair+'may+become+a+Catholic+deacon'/article.do

http://bp1.blogger.com/_T3lg6p_ATmc/Rmx2kGr3GMI/AAAAAAAABIE/rACv9cnMDsk/s1600-h/deaconblair.jpg

There was speculation he would fully convert to Catholicism at the weekend when he met the Pope.

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article2692478.ece

Mr Blair is likely to discuss his conversion with Pope Benedict XVI, with whom he will hold talks in Rome tomorrow after attending his last summit of European Union leaders in Brussels.

None of yer "talk to the parish priest" nonsense for el Tone. So humble.

PMQs is rather sober, no sign of any demob happiness.

Although apparently he has his P45.

Standing Ovation and round of applause on exit.

And he is gone.

Now the real fun begins, I am anticipating the shape of the new cabinet more than anything.

Twunts at the beeb cut the Daily Politics before the end. Nice riposte to Nicholas Winterton.

Stop nattering with the queen dmanit

bah, nothing revelatory

not that I expected it, but still

On the way from dropping off my Ma at the airport, Radio 1 was talking about some Polish girl that had a relationship with him for years before he met his wife. So much for the "childhood sweethearts" story that later became "met at University".

FFS, if you're going to deploy BEARD at least come up with a consistent back story you're prepared to stick to.

the Tory defection was pretty impressive political engineering, I thought

Douglas Alexander to Replace Hillary Benn as International Development Secretary.

according to "today": balls will get education (the portfolio brown feels matters the most). mil(l? subs pls check)iband will get foreign. darling, obviously, gets the exchequer. can't remember what else: i was too busy being cross with PHOENIX MITSUBISHI in LINWOOD, SCOTLAND for taking a week to do a very simple job on my car. that's PHOENIX MITSUBISHI. they're not very good.

More Today program tips.

straw to Justice with constitution but possibly to home.
Johnson to Health

Dour Queens and dour Scotsmen called Brown tend to get on rather well, historically

Hahaha Tom.

'Polish girl' university girlfriend type is some Romanian princess, actually.

it actually feels weirder to me that there's a new chancellor of the exchequer than that tony's gone!

D. Milliband in at foriegn

Balls to education? lol

Also - Gordon has always had Balls etc.

is he splitting the DfES then? enquiring minds need to know...

BBC is calling it Schools and Children at the moment. DO Skills to to DWP or DTI?

Jacqui Smith is first female home secretary.

Misread that as 'Jacqui Smith is first female homosexual'.

Benn tipped for Environment, I like that.

Misread that as 'Jacqui Smith is first female homosexual'.

That's not too bad compared to me reading "the Tory defecation was pretty impressive political engineering" upthread.

well, they did shit on us constantly from 1979-97.

Interesting Des Browne to stay at defence as the only continuity candidate. COuld be a smart move, keep the war associated with the old guard.

Ruth Kelly at transport is bad news because, well, she is bad news anywhere.

Have they announced Cruddas as Housing Minister yet?

I think Sub cabinet posts are due tomorrow, or at least later this afternoon after the cabinet meets although putting housing at cabinet level would show that GB is serious about sorting out housing.

Interesting Des Browne to stay at defence as the only continuity candidate

Scottish Mafia at work

If Des Browne is the scottish Mafia then the Scottish Mafia is an ineffectual Tunnock's Caramel Wafer racket.

Don't be dissin' Tunnock's Caramel Wafers!

I would never do that, Scotland's greatest export. 

Them and Michael McIndoe.

Apparently TB has been questioned again in the cash for honours case.

(xxp) No, that's Tunnock's Teacakes!

I value my teeth.

More than pleasure itself?

BLAIR FOR POPE

Prime minister: Gordon Brown
Chancellor: Alistair Darling
Foreign Secretary: David Miliband
Home Secretary: Jacqui Smith
Health: Alan Johnson
Schools and children: Ed Balls
Innovation, universities and skills: John Denham
Justice: Jack Straw
Commons leader: Harriet Harman
Defence and Scotland: Des Browne
Int Development: Douglas Alexander
Work and Pensions: Peter Hain
Northern Ireland: Shaun Woodward
Chief secretary to the Treasury: Andy Burnham
Cabinet office minister: Ed Miliband
Culture: James Purnell
Olympics: Tessa Jowell
Transport: Ruth Kelly
Lords leader: Baroness Ashton
Attorney General: Baroness Scotland
Environment: Hilary Benn
Chief Whip: Geoff Hoon
Business and enterprise: John Hutton
Duchy of Lancaster: To be confirmed
Communities: Hazel Blears

Yvette Cooper (Mrs Balls) housing and attending cabinet when required.

Ruth Kelly: Transubstantiation (Opus D'oh)

Argh I hate that poison dwarf.

"duchess of lancaster"? this is a regular office?

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is a very old office, cabinet level, a good way of getting someone in the cabinet without a proper portfolio.

If you die intestate in the duchy of lancaster the queen gets your goodies and the CotL administers that.

Attorney General: Baroness Scotland

"But no job for Baroness England. Typical. These Scots have their own parliament now, why don't they all go back there... they come down here taking our cabinet posts etc etc etc"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chancellor_of_the_Duchy_of_Lancaster

Late Additions:

Children and youth justice: Beverley Hughes
Africa, Asia and UN: Lord Malloch Brown

Now we're getting in the realms of "Who he?"

how does Deputy PM work? voted on by MPs? is Prescott still in office?

was Straw promoted?

straw is justice with responsibility for constitution as well so it is a promotion.

Doesn't look like there is going to be a deputy PM, there is no need for one unless the PM wants one (as with most cabinet positions)

who the hell is John Denham???

also BBC giving CofDoL to Miliband 2. when was the last time there were siblings in cabinet?

Has there ever been a husband and wife with ministerial portfolios before?

Peter and Virginia Bottomley (aka "I'm an evil Tory bigot")

I forgot, and I've had dinner with him.

Was Peter Bottomley a cabinet minister? That's a terrifying thought.
xpost

Just a regular minister I think.

who the hell is John Denham

He resigned over Iraq, and gave a very good speech in the Commons in doing so. So one up for Gordy in the anti-war stakes.

Has there ever been a husband and wife with ministerial portfolios before?

I'd like to think Aneurin Bevan and Jennie Lee, but I don't know if they were ever in the Cabinet at the same time.

Austen and Neville Chamberlain in 1938 (I think)

Hey, I've met John Denham too! He was a nice fella. Putting people like him in the cabinet may of course be a cynical ploy to show "change" and all that but it gives me some hope I have to say. As does much of this cabinet tbh. With exceptions.

Good luck to Jacqui Smith. HS is one thankless job. Can't be worse than Reid though. SURELY!?

I see a pattern emerging. John Reid takes over departments, fcks them up royally, and then hands them over to women who find it impossible to sort out the mess he left.