Blair Ministry

Tony Blair was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for three successive parliamentary terms from 1997-2007. His Cabinet was reshuffled for each new parliament as well as changed during the three periods.

The Cabinet

=Cabinets listed chronologically=

These are the cabinets under Prime Minister Tony Blair (from May 1997 to June 2007).

Tony Blair's first Cabinet, May 1997 to June 2001

*Tony Blair — Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury, and Minister for the Civil Service
*John Prescott — Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions
*Gordon Brown — Chancellor of the Exchequer and Second Lord of the Treasury
*The Lord Irvine of Lairg — Lord Chancellor
*Ann Taylor — Lord President of the Council & Leader of the House of Commons
*The Lord Richard — Lord Privy Seal & Leader of the House of Lords
*Alistair Darling — Chief Secretary to the Treasury
*David G. Clark — Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Cabinet Office Minister
*Robin Cook — Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
*Jack Straw — Secretary of State for the Home Department
*Jack Cunningham — Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
*Frank Dobson — Secretary of State for Health
*George Robertson — Secretary of State for Defence
*Harriet Harman — Secretary of State for Social Security and Minister for Women
*David Blunkett — Secretary of State for Education and Employment
*Margaret Beckett — Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and President of the Board of Trade
*Chris Smith — Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
*Clare Short — Secretary of State for International Development
*Mo Mowlam — Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
*Donald Dewar — Secretary of State for Scotland
*Ron Davies — Secretary of State for Wales
*Gavin Strang — Minister for Transport
*Peter Mandelson — Minister without PortfolioAlso attending Cabinet:
*Nick Brown — Chief Whip
*John Morris — Attorney General

Changes

*July 1998 — Margaret Beckett becomes Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons. Baroness Jay of Paddington becomes Lord Privy Seal, Leader of the House of Lords and Minister for Women. Stephen Byers becomes Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Ann Taylor becomes Chief Whip, which is now a cabinet position. Jack Cunningham becomes Cabinet Office Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Nick Brown becomes Agriculture Minister. Alistair Darling becomes Social Security Secretary. Peter Mandelson enters the cabinet as Trade & Industry Secretary. John Reid becomes Transport Minister, which is no longer a cabinet position (although Dr Reid will continue attending cabinet meetings). Lord Richard, Harriet Harman, David G. Clark, and Gavin Strang leave the cabinet. The President of the Board of Trade is no longer a title used by the Trade Secretary.
* October 1998 — Alun Michael becomes Welsh Secretary. Ron Davies leaves the Cabinet.
*December 1998 — Stephen Byers becomes Trade & Industry Seretary. Alan Milburn becomes Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Peter Mandelson leaves the cabinet.
* May 1999 — John Reid becomes Scottish Secretary. Donald Dewar leaves the cabinet.
* July 1999 — Paul Murphy becomes Welsh Secretary. Alun Michael leaves the cabinet.
*October 1999 — Andrew Smith becomes Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Geoff Hoon becomes Defence Secretary. Alan Milburn becomes Health Secretary. Peter Mandelson returns to the cabinet as Northern Ireland Secretary. Mo Mowlam becomes Cabinet Office Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Lord Williams becomes Attorney General. John Morris, George Robertson, Jack Cunningham, and Frank Dobson leave the cabinet.
*January 2001 — Peter Mandelson resigns as Northern Ireland Secretary and is succeeded by John Reid. Helen Liddell enters the cabinet and succeeds John Reid as Scottish Secretary.

Tony Blair's second Cabinet, June 2001 to May 2005

*Tony Blair — Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury, and Minister for the Civil Service:
*John Prescott — Deputy Prime Minister
*Gordon Brown — Chancellor of the Exchequer and Second Lord of the Treasury
*The Lord Irvine of Lairg — Lord Chancellor
*Robin Cook — Lord President of the Council & Leader of the House of Commons
*The Lord Williams of Mostyn — Lord Privy Seal & Leader of the House of Lords
*Andrew Smith — Chief Secretary to the Treasury
*Jack Straw — Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
*David Blunkett — Secretary of State for the Home Department
*Margaret Beckett — Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
*Stephen Byers — Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions
*Alan Milburn — Secretary of State for Health
*Geoff Hoon — Secretary of State for Defence
*Alistair Darling — Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
*Estelle Morris — Secretary of State for Education and Skills
*Patricia Hewitt — Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and Minister for Women and Equality
*Tessa Jowell — Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
*Clare Short — Secretary of State for International Development
*John Reid — Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
*Helen Liddell — Secretary of State for Scotland
*Paul Murphy — Secretary of State for Wales
*Charles Clarke — Minister without Portfolio and Labour Party Chairman
*Hilary Armstrong — Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and Government Chief Whip
*Lord Goldsmith: Attorney General

Changes

*May 2002 — Stephen Byers resigns and the Department of Transport, Local Government & the Regions is broken up. Alistair Darling becomes Secretary of State for Transport. John Prescott's Office of the Deputy Prime Minister assumes the Local Government & the Regions portfolio. Andrew Smith becomes Work & Pensions Secretary. Paul Boateng becomes Chief Secretary to the Treasury. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2014837.stm Complete list of changes]
*October 2002 — Estelle Morris resigns. Charles Clarke becomes Education Secretary; John Reid becomes Minister without Portfolio and Labour Party Chairman. Paul Murphy becomes Northern Ireland Secretary. Peter Hain becomes Welsh Secretary.
*March 2003 — Robin Cook resigns. John Reid becomes Lord President of the Council & Leader of the House of Commons. Ian McCartney becomes Minister without Portfolio and Labour Party Chairman.
*May 2003 — Clare Short resigns and is succeed by Baroness Amos as International Development Secretary.
*June 2003 — In a reshuffle John Reid becomes Health Secretary. Lord Falconer of Thoroton assumes the new position of Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, also becoming Lord Chancellor. Alistair Darling becomes Scottish Secretary remaining also Transport Secretary. Peter Hain becomes Lord Privy Seal & Leader of the House of Commons, remaining also Welsh Secretary. Alan Milburn, Lord Irvine of Lairg, and Helen Liddell leave the Cabinet. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2989070.stm Complete list of changes]
*October 2003 — Baroness Amos becomes Lord President of the Council & Leader of the House of Lords, following the death of Lord Williams of Mostyn. Hilary Benn becomes International Development Secretary.
*September 2004 — Andrew Smith resigns as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and is succeeded by Alan Johnson. Alan Milburn returns to government with a seat in the Cabinet as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster mainly at the head of policy co-ordination; he replaces Douglas Alexander, who was not in the Cabinet.
*December 2004 — David Blunkett resigns as Home Secretary and is succeeded by Charles Clarke. Ruth Kelly succeeds Clarke as Secretary of State for Education and Skills.

Tony Blair's third Cabinet, May 2005 to June 2007

*Tony Blair — Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury, and Minister for the Civil Service:
*John Prescott — Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State
*Gordon Brown — Chancellor of the Exchequer and Second Lord of the Treasury
*The Lord Falconer of Thoroton — Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor
*Charles Clarke — Home Secretary
*Jack Straw — Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
*Geoff Hoon — Leader of the House of Commons and Lord Privy Seal
*The Baroness Amos — Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council
*Tessa Jowell — Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Minister for the Olympics
*John Reid — Secretary of State for Defence
*Ruth Kelly — Secretary of State for Education and Skills
*Margaret Beckett — Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
*Patricia Hewitt — Secretary of State for Health
*Hilary Benn — Secretary of State for International Development
*Peter Hain — Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Secretary of State for Wales
*Alan Johnson — Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
*Alistair Darling — Secretary of State for Transport and Secretary of State for Scotland
*David Blunkett — Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
*John Hutton — Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Cabinet Office)
*Des Browne — Chief Secretary to the Treasury
*David Miliband — Minister of State for Communities and Local Government
*Ian McCartney — Minister Without Portfolio and Party Chair
*Hilary Armstrong — Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and Government Chief Whip

Changes

* November 2005 — David Blunkett resigns his post as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. He is replaced by John Hutton, leaving the post of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster vacant for six months.
* May 2006 — Following a poor showing in the local council elections, Blair reshuffles his cabinet. Charles Clarke, Geoff Hoon, and Ian McCartney leave the Cabinet. Jack Straw becomes Leader of the House of Commons and Lord Privy Seal. Margaret Beckett is promoted to Foreign Secretary, John Reid to Home Secretary, David Miliband to Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and Des Browne to Secretary of State for Defence. Ruth Kelly takes a new post of Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which replaces the post held by David Miliband and takes a number of responsibilities previously held by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister; Kelly will also serve as Minister for Women and Equality. Alan Johnson becomes Secretary of State for Education and Skills. Alistair Darling becomes Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. Hilary Armstrong becomes Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Minister for Social Exclusion. Douglas Alexander enters the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Transport and Secretary of State for Scotland. Hazel Blears enters the Cabinet as Minister Without Portfolio and Party Chair, Stephen Timms as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and Jacqui Smith as Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and Chief Whip.

External links

* [http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/minwhirl.php The Public Whip - Ministerial Whirl] tool showing Tony Blair's Cabinet changes since 1997 (java applet)

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