Brown announces new cabinet
Updated on 28 June 2007
David Miliband, Alistair Darling and Jacqui Smith are the big winners in Gordon Brown's first cabinet.
David Miliband takes the coveted job of foreign secretary, as Gordon Brown announced his new cabinet today.
He becomes the most senior Blairite in the new cabinet, and one of the youngest ever to hold the foreign office portfolio, the youngest since David Owen in 1977. It's a reward, perhaps, for not challenging Brown's leadership bid.
Senior Brownite Alistair Darling is rewarded with Gordon Brown's old post at the treasury. He was a former chief secretary of the treasury before taking over at the department for transport.
Miliband's old job as environment secretary goes to Hilary Benn, defeated contender for the deputy leadership position.
Jacqui Smith will be the most senior woman in the cabinet, taking the difficult role of home secretary, graveyard of many a political career.
Defeated deputy leadership candidate Hazel Blears takes over the department for communities and local government, formerly John Prescott's fiefdom under its old guise as the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
Other defeated would-be deputies scooped cabinet roles: Alan Johnston, takes over at the department of health, and Peter Hain gets the department of work and pensions.
There's a newcomer to the cabinet, James Purnell. The former work and pensions minister is widely tipped to earn a place at the top table.
He takes over the department of culture, media and sport - the so-called 'minister of fun' position, which will involve overseeing difficult preparations for the Olympics, and development of the gambling industry.
Another loyal Brownite, Douglas Alexander, gets the department for international development, but he has also been given the role of election co-ordinator, with a view to a possible snap election if Gordon Brown enjoys a sustained bounce in the polls.
John Hutton takes over at business and enterprise, the truncated former department of trade and industry - a role previously linked with the chancellor's protege, Ed Balls.
Ruth Kelly will become transport secretary. Margaret Beckett leaves the government, as does Patricia Hewitt, who resigned last night, alongside Hilary Armstrong and John Reid.
Baroness Amos has also left her job as leader of the lords, to take up a job as the EU's representative to the African Union. Baroness Ashton takes her old job.
The full cabinet
- 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
- International development: Douglas Alexander
- Wales/Work and Pensions: Peter Hain
- Northern Ireland: Shaun Woodward
- Chief secretary to the Treasury: Andy Burnham
- Cabinet office minister/Duchy of Lancaster: 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
- Housing minister (attending cabinet when needed): Yvette Cooper
- Communities: Hazel Blears
- Children and youth justice: Beverley Hughes
- Africa, Asia and UN: Lord Malloch Brown
