Portrait of the Week – 18 September 2004

Mr Stephen Byers, a former Cabinet minister, popped up on television to talk about Mr Alan Milburn, the new Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with undefined responsibility for drawing up Labour policy before the election; ‘I think he would be an excellent leader of the Labour party and an excellent prime minister.’ Mr Frank Dobson, a former Cabinet minister, said the backbenches were ‘covered in failed prime ministers’. Miss Ruth Kelly became a minister for the Cabinet Office and Mr Kim Howells became minister for higher education. Mr Michael Howard took the opportunity to bring back Mr John Redwood into the shadow Cabinet; Mr Damian Green, Mr John Bercow and, after a little hesitation, Miss Julie Kirkbride departed from it. Mr Tony Blair, the Prime Minister, attempted to persuade the Trades Union Congress that the government cared about employment rights. He then entered into talks with the Democratic Unionist party and Sinn Fein, the political face of the Irish Republican Army, in an attempt to restore a power-sharing government in Northern Ireland.