Brown appoints new Cabinet ministers

The British PM, Gordon Brown, reaches into the past to save his future, bringing Peter Mandelson back.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown attends the launch of the UK Council for Child Internet Safety at the Science Museum in London on Sept 29, 2008. Mr Brown bolstered his cabinet today with the appointment oShow more

LONDON // The British prime minister, Gordon Brown, reached into the past to save his future today, recruiting stars from the Tony Blair era into his Cabinet. It was a spectacular reversal for the man who seemed to want a total break with Mr Blair's team when he moved into No 10 Downing Street last year. The biggest surprise was the decision to bring back the twice disgraced, twice-rehabilitated Peter Mandelson as business secretary, Britain's BBC and Sky News reported. Seen as one of the prime architects of the "New Labour" approach that first brought Mr Blair to power more than a decade ago, Mr Mandelson has long been viewed as a Blair ally, not a Brown man. But Mr Brown, facing a severe economic downturn and a steep drop in popularity, needs a touch of Blair magic now. "Bringing back Mandelson is bringing back Mr Super Spin," said Rodney Barker, a professor of government at the London School of Economics. "He has clear skills. It's about giving the impression there is a message and direction and control." Mr Mandelson does not hold a seat in Britain's House of Commons, so will likely be appointed to the House of Lords by Mr Brown, allowing him to join the government without winning a place in parliament at an election. Mr Brown's office declined to confirm details of the shakeup ahead of a planned formal announcement, though it acknowledged changes were being made. The BBC and Sky News said Mr Brown was appointing new Cabinet ministers with portfolios including business, defence and transport. Mr Blair's ex-foreign secretary Margaret Beckett, who won her first government post in 1975 and has worked under four Labour prime ministers, will return with a post to enforce Mr Brown's policies, the BBC said. Mr Brown's chief whip, Geoff Hoon, a former defence secretary under Mr Blair who led British involvement in the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, will take over the Transport Ministry, the BBC said. Mr Mandelson, an ex-Northern Ireland secretary and trade secretary, backed former prime minister Mr Blair over Mr Brown when the two men pondered running for the leadership of their Labour Party in 1994. Mr Brown, who chose not to compete against Mr Blair and later waited 10 years to replace him as British leader, has had a testy relationship with Mr Mandelson ever since. Mr Blair's former press secretary, Alistair Campbell, wrote in memoirs published last year that: "Gordon and Peter really do hate each other." John McDonnell, a rank and file Labour Party legislator, said he was shocked by Mr Mandelson's return. "This is an extraordinary step backwards into the worst elements of the Blair era, to reinstate possibly the most divisive figure in Labour's recent history," Mr McDonnell said. In other moves, the BBC reported that Ed Miliband, the younger brother of the foreign secretary David Miliband, would head up a newly created ministry of energy and climate change. It said departing business secretary John Hutton would be become defence secretary, replacing Des Browne. Former management consultant Liam Byrne, 38, takes on a job in charge of Britain's Cabinet Office, which handles policy implementation and crisis management, while Vodafone chairman John Bond will head up a new economic panel, the BBC said. Mr Brown was forced to make changes after legislator Ruth Kelly said she wanted to quit her transport brief to spend more time with her young family and trade minister Digby Jones said he wanted to step down. * AP