A FACE SAVER; EXCLUSIVE: BROWN RESHUFFLE Johnson will be new frontman.Byline: BY BOB ROBERTS POLITICAL EDITOR GORDON Brown is to reshuffle his Cabinet to repair Labour's battered image, it was revealed last night. Alan Johnson is expected to be given a frontman front·man n. 1. also front man A man who serves as a nominal leader but who lacks real authority. 2. Music A leading singer with a group. role that will make him the face of the Government in the public's eye. Senior sources said the Health Secretary's southern background and working class roots are seen as vote winners. He would lead the fightback on TV and radio to hit David Cameron's poll lead. Mr Johnson could also replace Geoff Hoon hoon Austral & NZ slang Noun a loutish youth who drives irresponsibly Verb to drive irresponsibly as Chief Whip The Chief Whip is a political office in some legislatures assigned to an elected member whose task is to administer the whipping system that ensures that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires. in charge of party discipline to stop growing unrest among backbenchers. Mr Hoon is expected to be put at the head of the Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Regulatory Reform concerns improvements to the quality of government regulation. At the international level, the "OECD Regulatory Reform Programme is aimed at helping governments improve regulatory quality -- that is, reforming regulations that raise unnecessary obstacles to in the weekend reshuffle. He will take the place of John Hutton, who would be given another key department. The reshuffle strategy comes after Mr Brown's authority and his standing with voters were seen as being badly damaged by his U-turn over the 10p tax. Last night a poll showed the Tories had a massive 18-point lead. The YouGov survey for the Daily Telegraph put David Cameron's opposition on 44 per cent to Labour's 26, the widest gap since Margaret Thatcher won a third term in 1987. Labour are also expected to suffer in the May 1 elections. Sources said there was a need for fresh faces and the reshuffle would allow him to draw a line under the defeat. The PM denied he had been "pushed" into changing the Budget. But Labour rebels, sensing weakness, now aim to bury the plan to extend detention without charge in terror cases to 42 days. Backbencher Frank Field also warned the Government the Labour Party would not tolerate ministers trying to "wriggle out" of the 10p compensation deal. CAPTION(S): HOON Business; HUTTON Key role; JOHNSON Frontman and Chief Whip |
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