UK News 09-09-2004 Reshuffle Is a "Shambles" who: Former health secretary Alan Milburn what: Appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to spearhead election campaign policy where: LONDON when: Yesterday snippet: Alan Milburn, the former health minister and close ally of Tony Blair, is to take the "courtesy title" Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster "after days of shambles," says The Sun. Mr Blair has finally given in to "fierce opposition" from Milburn`s "sworn enemy", Gordon Brown, who shouted down a plan to install Mr Milburn as party chairman. Ian McCartney will remain in that post. "Blair aides said Mr Milburn would be Labour`s `policy supremo` in the run-up to the election expected next May," says The Independent. The position will give him "a leading role in drawing up the manifesto for a third term in power," says The Telegraph. "Mr Blair faced taunts by Michael Howard, the Conservative Party leader, about the cabinet backstabbing over the reshuffle at Prime Minister`s Questions," says The Independent`s Colin Brown. "He brushed aside the Tory leader`s gibes that the Brownites were at war with the Blairites, and got the better of Charles Kennedy, the Liberal Democrat leader, over funding of the Liberal Democrats` proposed pension increase." "Michael Howard, not to be outdone, provoked more surprise by asking John Redwood to return to his Shadow Cabinet," says The Times. "Mr Howard`s reshuffle was seen as an obvious attempt to shift his top team to the right. He put Nicholas Soames and David Cameron, a rising star, into his Shadow Cabinet. Mr Redwood will be a spokesman for deregulation, Mr Soames Shadow Defence Secretary, and Mr Cameron will do his current job as head of policy inside the shadow cabinet." [... more]

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