CHARLES CLARK FIRED

Clarke axed in Cabinet reshuffle

Charles Clarke has been axed as home secretary as Tony Blair seeks to regain the initiative after a night of losses in English local elections.

He will be replaced by defence secretary John Reid. Margaret Beckett is the new Foreign Secretary, with Jack Straw becoming Commons leader.

John Prescott will stay as deputy prime minister but loses his department.

Labour came third in the national share of the vote in Thursday's polls, losing more than 200 seats to the Tories.

Although not the "meltdown" some had predicted, Labour lost control of 18 local councils, making it one of the party's worst ever local election nights.

The Conservatives took control of 12 councils and gained 250 seats, although they failed to make hoped-for progress in Northern cities such as Manchester and Liverpool.

2006 ENGLISH ELECTIONS
Labour losses: Newcastle-under-Lyme, Derby, Stoke-on-Trent, Bury, Redditch, Barrow-in-Furness, Warrington, Crawley, Lewisham, Bexley, Merton, Blackburn with Darwen, Hammersmith and Fulham, Croydon

Tory gains: Shrewsbury and Atcham, Crawley, Mole Valley, Hillingdon, Harrow, Coventry, Ealing

Tory losses: West Lindsey, Gosport

Lib Dem gains: St Albans, South Lakeland

Lib Dem losses: Milton Keynes, Islington

BNP: Won 11 seats in Barking and Dagenham

Greens: Gained 14 seats, including four in Norwich

The Liberal Democrats failed to make predicted advances, gaining less than 20 councillors, but Sir Menzies Campbell insisted it was not a test of his leadership.

Prescott affair

In a statement, Mr Clarke said he did not agree with the prime minister's judgement but he would remain loyal to the government when he returned to backbenches.

Mr Clarke has faced repeated calls for his resignation since admitting he had lost track of 1,023 foreign prisoners who should have been considered deportation.

Possible promotion

Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt is another minister who has been under pressure since being booed by nurses angry about deficits at NHS trusts.

Among the Cabinet ministers in line for possible promotion are Trade and Industry Secretary Alan Johnson, Work and Pensions Secretary John Hutton.

Opposition parties say the reshuffle is just a diversionary tactic.

Shadow chancellor George Osborne said: "This reshuffle is an attempt to cover up very bad losses for Tony Blair and Labour in the local elections and very good results for David Cameron and the Conservative Party."

Titanic

Some Labour backbenchers believe Mr Blair must go further than just overhauling his team.

Former Health Secretary Frank Dobson said a reshuffle would be like "rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic".

"Quite frankly we need the party under new management," said Mr Dobson.

If Thursday's polls had been held nationwide, the Tories would have gained 40% of the vote, Lib Dems 27% and Labour 26%. Turnout is estimated at 36% - down three points from 2004.

Among the smaller parties, the Greens have won 17 seats, with particular success in Norwich. The British National Party doubled its councillors, including winning 11 seats from Labour in Barking.

Some areas will not start counting their votes until Friday.

Discuss......

Glad he's been fired

Kick them all bloody out.

Ruining this country..... 10-15 years ago Britain was a different place.

Petrol was cheap
People didn't have babies just to get the social
Immigrants, what were those....????
Taxes were lower
National heath was better
Speed cameras were not around
We had no terrorists, as we didn't just go to war on them, everyone done their own thing.
Bus lanes were not invented.

BUT

Fashion sucked

god, where do i go on

Originally Posted by Tara

Glad he's been fired

Not really gonna to make a blind bit of difference though is it?

Yup he deserved to go, this government is def. going downhill

Originally Posted by falc

Yup he deserved to go, this government is def. going downhill

going downhill - gone down hill more like


and Mudge yeah your prob right no difference whatsoever

I'm so damn apathetic nowadays...I've lost all interest in any ruddy government They all suck, the only difference is by how much

I mean I still vote, but, I'm not surprised people don't!

Bloody politicians!

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Still think Guy Fawkes had the best idea