The recent reshuffle made it even more likely that the next nameplate on the Prime Minister's desk in 10 Downing Street will contain the surname "Miliband".

The trouble, from the Foreign Secretary's perspective, is that his initials will be missing. For, in their place, will be those of his younger brother, Ed Miliband, the Doncaster MP who has just been appointed Energy and Climate Secretary.

Miliband junior is the big winner in the reshuffle, and if he can ensure that there's enough power to keep the country's lights burning this winter, his political stock may rise even further.

Why?

Already regarded as Brown's most trusted behind-the-scenes
lieutenant – far more so than the Schools Secretary Ed Balls –
Miliband junior by all accounts gave one of the most effective
speeches at the recent Labour conference on the role of the voluntary sector. His was far more polished than his brother's much-anticipated oration which fell as flat as the economy.

He is also an effective communicator on television – a quality that all politicians, like it or not, must possess in abundance.

Crucially, and in spite of Peter Mandelson's return from Brussels, he is still tasked with writing Labour's manifesto prior to the next election – another vote of confidence.

And, finally, he cannot be accused of disloyalty. He was highly-embarrassed by his brother's pre-emptive strike for the Labour leadership over the summer, a move that he reportedly described as being symptomatic of the arrogance that lies behind Miliband senior's charming public persona.

In a government so bereft of talent, and unifying figures, it is Ed – and not David – Miliband which is now the name to watch.



AFTER embarrassing the Government when she allowed herself to be photographed walking up 10 Downing Street carrying confidential Cabinet documents that revealed the true extent of the plummeting housing market, it was inevitable that Don Valley MP Caroline Flint would be moved in Gordon Brown's reshuffle.

Her botched handling of the eco-towns policy, and the Government's house-building targets, left her reputation in ruins. Yet, her new role as Europe Minister will be no easier, given that Ms Flint will be the public face of Labour's European elections campaign next year.

The PM clearly hopes that Ms Flint will be able to charm voters into supporting the Government. I beg to differ. One of the political stories of next year will be the sheer scale of voters, predominantly people who have supported Labour in the past, who will defect to the United Kingdom Independence Party.

No amount of cosmetic surgery, from a policy or personality perspective, will be able to mask the electorate's antipathy towards the European Union.



GEOFF Hoon emerged from Tuesday's Cabinet meeting, which debated the economic crisis at length, and observed to reporters: "It was a serious meeting."

Good. I'm glad the new Transport Secretary – nicknamed Buff-hoon – noticed.

It's just a pity that he did not take the intelligence reports seriously enough when, as Defence Secretary, he was part of the Cabinet discussions that supposedly preceded the Iraq war.



THERE'S a simple explanation for David Davis's silence over reports
that the Government is set to bow to the inevitable, and not put up a
fight over continued resistance to its plans to detain terror suspects for up to 42 days.

Davis, who resigned as Shadow Home Secretary over the policy before prompting a "vanity" by-election in his Haltemprice and Howden constituency, has been on a visit to Afghanistan.

But, more crucially, it is interesting to note how the issue of civil liberties championed by Davis has slipped down the agenda – presumably because voters are more concerned about the economy and their own household finances.

It will be interesting to see if Davis harbours any regrets now that the 42-day legislation – his cause célèbre – is set to be withdrawn.

TRUST Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, to answer a question about the amount of money Transport for London has invested in crisis-stricken Icelandic banks – by pleading for the Government to spend even more money upgrading the capital's railway infrastructure.

"If we want to get ourselves out of this mess, that means long-term investment in improving our city. We will cripple ourselves if we fail to get Crossrail done and we fail to upgrade the Tube. It is vital that people in Government understand that," he blathered away.

What about the rest of the country, Boris?



DON'T feel too sorry for Sir Ian Blair – the outgoing Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police – bleating that he has been the victim of a political vendetta.

He is, after all, the chief officer who said that the police vehicles used to transport Prime Minister Tony Blair during the 2005 election could be adorned with "Vote Labour" stickers.

So much for impartiality.



HERE'S a thought to end the week. What would the future hold for Gordon Brown if Tony Blair had served a full third term – as the former PM had originally intended?

Would there have been any prospect at all of Brown becoming PM, given the recent course of financial history in this country?