Minister's shock resignation weakens Blair

BRITISH Prime Minister Tony Blair's decision to reshuffle his cabinet has left him much lonelier following the resignation of his Health Secretary Alan Milburn.

Mr Milburn was a key ally of the Prime Minister as he sought to balance the influence of his powerful Chancellor, Gordon Brown.

Mr Milburn was even seen by some as an heir who could take the leadership in place of Mr Brown once Mr Blair stands down.

But now he has become the latest in a steady stream of Blairite casualties to leave the Cabinet.

John Reid has been appointed as the new health secretary following the shock resignation.

Mr Milburn's decision to quit citing family reasons came just hours before details were released of Tony Blair's latest cabinet reshuffle.

Lord Irvine widely tipped to retire leaves his post of Lord Chancellor as expected in the reshuffle.

Lord Falconer is to head up a new department of Constitutional Affairs.

Peter Hain the current Welsh secretary takes over from Mr Reid as Commons' leader.

He will also speak on issues relating to Wales.

But the big story of the day is Mr Milburn's resignation that confounded the predictions of all the pundits.

The Darlington MP's decision was announced just hours before the details of the cabinet reshuffle were released.

Mr Milburn said he had decided to leave the government because the demands of the job conflicted with having a young family in the north-east.

Speculation had been rife that there would be changes in the cabinet but no-one could have predicted such a key moderniser would leave the government.

Despite fighting a series of tough political battles in recent months, particularly over foundation hospitals, Mr Milburn said his career had to take second place to his two young sons and his partner Ruth.

He told the BBC that like many families they had tried to juggle commitments but in the end something had to give and in this case it was the "crazy" life of politics. "The only difference between me and families up and down the land who have to deal with this on a continual basis, is that I have got to do it on TV," he said.

"[Politics] is a completely crazy way to run your life."

The resignation was announced after the prime minister returned from Paris where he had dinner on Wednesday night with French President Jacques Chirac.

In his letter Mr Milburn wrote: "It is not a political decision for I support you totally in what you are trying to do it is entirely personal."

The prime minister's letter thanked Mr Milburn for his contribution to the government and the NHS in particular.

Senior Lib Dem Menzies Campbell said that Mr Milburn's departure weakened the prime minister.

That view was echoed by senior Labour backbencher Ian Gibson who said: "He's lost Mandelson, he's lost Stevie Byers, Estelle Morris was a star too and now Milburn. The team is falling apart, it seems."