Brown downgrades Europe post in Cabinet reshuffle farce
Gordon Brown appears to have downgraded the post of Europe Minister today after shifting Baroness Kinnock from the job to become Foreign Office minister responsible for Africa.
Chris Bryant takes the Europe role, but remains a parliamentary under-secretary, the lowest rank on the paid ministerial ladder.
The job has always been done in the past by a Minister of State and they have usually attended the Cabinet when European affairs have been discussed.
It appears that Mr Bryant has to remain a junior minister became there are not enough Minister of State posts to go round.
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The sense of farce was increased when Mr Bryant announced his promotion on Twitter before Downing Street put out the news.
The move may have been prompted because David Miliband, Foreign Secretary, has launched a high-profile pre-election attack on Conservative links with the Tory Right in Europe. It is assumed Mr Brown wanted his Europe Minister to be in the Commons to press home the criticism. Lady Kinnock also received some criticism early in her spell for openly pushing for Tony Blair to be made Europe President.
Mr Brown’s spokesman described the changes as “housekeeping” in the wake of the departure from government of Lord Malloch Brown, who was Africa Minister.
Lord Malloch Brown, a former United Nations official brought into government by Mr Brown, resigned in July for “family and personal reasons”, saying he had never intended to remain a minister for long.
Mr Brown’s spokesman said there would be no “specific replacement” for him.
The spokesman added of the changes: “I would characterise it as housekeeping and a sensible adjustment of portfolios.”
He stressed that the premier had been “very pleased” with Baroness Kinnock and Mr Bryant’s performances. He had previously covered African and Asia in the ministry.
Baroness Kinnock was brought into government in June to replace Caroline Flint who quit as a Europe minister complaining of the premier’s treatment of women in the Government as “window dressing”.
Nigel Farage, Ukip leader in the European parliament, said: “Putting Chris Bryant in as Europe Minister shows us just how unimportant the Government think that people’s views on the EU are.
“The fact that he treats the EU so lightly - after all, Bryant keeps his lowly ministerial position - when a vast majority of the country want a say on their relations with the EU is sadly typical. “To Brown the game is over, we have lost and he may as well replace a has-been with a never-will-be.
“To the UK Independence Party our relationship is still as important as it ever was. Any body that makes over 75 per cent of our laws has to be taken seriously. But obviously not by this Government.”
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