The real threat to Ruth Kelly is not the paedophile scandal but the Education Bill

Almost without exception Tony Blair’s Cabinet reshuffles have been a shambles, sometimes descending into farce. The reshuffle that followed the 2001 general election was a case in point. Decisions were delayed and a major reorganisation of Whitehall put on hold as Blair was locked in his study having a shouting match with Cherie. In the anteroom senior officials hung around listlessly, too embarrassed to barge in, awaiting instructions that failed to arrive. Two years later, matters got worse. The Prime Minister, without consulting officials, abolished the ancient office of Lord Chancellor. The decision had to be embarrassingly rescinded as it emerged that this could not be put into effect without primary legislation.

The business of the Lord Chancellor was incompetence of a very high order indeed. In the early days this kind of inattention to detail, one of the hallmarks of the Prime Minister, caused much of the trouble. More recently weakness and drift have added to the problem.