Woodward thrilled with North post in Brown cabinet

BRITISH Prime Minister Gordon Brown unveiled his senior ministerial team yesterday, a day after taking power, vowing change after the end of Tony Blair’s decade in power.

Shaun Woodward said he was “thrilled” to be returning to Northern Ireland after Brown appointed him to his first Cabinet as Secretary of State. The former Tory MP was a surprise choice. Brown offered the job to former Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown who turned it down.

And Mr Woodward repeatedly batted away questions over why he would not get the £75,000-plus ministerial salary that previously went with the job.

Pressed on the issue, Mr Woodward insisted that the question of his salary — he will still be paid as an MP — was not the one on the minds of Ulster people.

Brown held the first meeting with his new cabinet, including a loyal and trusted ally as finance minister and the youngest foreign secretary for 30 years. Alistair Darling, 53, succeeds Brown as chancellor of the exchequer, while David Miliband, 41, replaces Margaret Beckett as foreign secretary.

As expected he packed his senior team with his supporters. As well as Darling, he kept Des Browne on as defence secretary and transferred former speechwriter Douglas Alexander from transport to be international development secretary.

Another Brown cheerleader, Harriet Harman, who last Sunday was elected deputy leader of Brown’s governing Labour Party and made party chairwoman, moves to be leader of the lower House of Commons.

There was also a return to high office for Blair’s former home and foreign secretary, Jack Straw.

But Brown made some notable firsts, appointing Jacqui Smith, 44, to be Britain’s first female home secretary and making the first husband and wife team to sit at the highly polished Cabinet table. Ed Balls, his long-standing economics adviser, took up a new role as children, schools and families secretary, with his wife, Yvette Cooper, continuing as housing minister.