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Gordon Brown revamps Cabinet

Hasan Suroor

First woman Home Secretary appointed

LONDON: David Miliband, a rising star of Labour Party, was on Thursday appointed Britain’s Foreign Secretary replacing Margaret Beckett in the biggest shake-up of the Cabinet since Labour came to power in 1997 as Gordon Brown sought to put his stamp on the Government a day after taking over as Prime Minister.

At 41, Mr. Miliband, who was Environment Secretary in the Blair government, is one of the youngest Foreign Secretaries and little is known about his views on foreign policy.

There is speculation that he has been “rewarded” for refusing to challenge Mr. Brown for leadership despite enormous pressure on him from the Blair camp.

Son of a distinguished left-wing academic, Ralph, the Oxford-educated Mr. Miliband was first elected to Parliament in 2001 and within a short period he rose from junior ministerial ranks to become a Cabinet Minister in 2004. Known as the “brains” because of his brilliant academic background, he worked as head of policy unit in Downing Street before he was “parachuted” into a safe Labour seat in 2001.

Mr. Miliband said he was “tremendously honoured” and would pursue a “diplomacy that is patient as well as purposeful, which listens as well as leads”.

“I believe that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is a unique global asset for Britain and I want to ensure it’s deployed to maximum effect”. Another headline-grabbing appointment was that of Jacqui Smith (45), formerly Chief Whip, as Britain’s first woman Home Secretary. She succeeds John Reid who decided to retire from frontline politics.

Besides Mr. Reid, others who are leaving the government include Patricia Hewitt, Margaret Beckett, Lord Goldsmith, Hilary Armstrong, Valerie Amos and Ian McCartney.

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