Balls to be sent Home?

It’s reshuffle rumour time, I’m afraid, with a few of today’s papers carrying stories about whom Brown might ditch and promote in the aftermath of the local elections.  Much of it centres on Jacqui Smith, who appears to be the favourite to get the chop.  And there’s also some chat about Hazel Blears getting demoted in the wake of her YouTube smackdown of our Dear Leader.

Myself, I can’t see Blears getting moved – Brown could well do without alienating her even further, especially as doing so would probably infuriate plenty of others in the Labour Party.  But sacking Smith would be a far less politically dangerous move.  The Home Secretary is far from popular with either the public or, so it’s said, her colleagues.

But who would she be replaced with?  The names of Alan Johnson and Shaun Woodward are being bandied around, but the markets seem to be falling behind none other than Ed Balls.