by MONITOR
IF Gordon Brown has restored his authority within the government and party by yesterday's speech he will need to decide urgently whether or not to reshuffle his Cabinet. The fact that during all the fevered speculation of recent weeks not a single credible figure has emerged -- not even David Miliband - as suitable enough to displace Mr Brown suggests that the Cabinet is remarkably short of strong political personalities. If new blood is to be introduced it should be done soon because the government has less than two years to run. Merely playing musical chairs with those at present in office will achieve very little -- there is plenty of competence round the Cabinet table but very few figures with vision and charisma.
As Tony Blair demonstrated more than once, a botched reshuffle is worse than no reshuffle at all. Nonetheless even a single necessary change can set in motion an unintended domino effect. The person who has made himself most open to departure from the Cabinet is surely David Miliband, both for his misjudged estimation of his own worth and for his foreign policy statements.
There would be a good case for bringing in an outsider as Foreign Secretary -- the name of Lord Paddy Ashdown suggests itself. At a time that Britain is not blessed with outstanding political figures it is shameful that he is not called on.
But would Gordon Brown dare to do that?