Blair rejigs cabinet

Reid succeeded Alan Milburn, a loyal Blairite whose resignation -- in order to spend more time with his boys aged 11 and six -- came as a complete surprise after days of speculation in London about who was going where.

Stepping down too were Helen Liddell as secretary for Scottish affairs, and -- as expected -- Lord Alexander "Derry" Irvine, who as lord chancellor was de facto justice minister and more.

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Moving up was Peter Hain, Britain's chief delegate to the European Union's constitutional drafting committee, who replaced Reid as leader of the House of Commons, charged with organizing the government's legislative agenda.

Moving in was Lord Charles Falconer, Blair's law school roommate, who joins the cabinet with responsibility for an all-new department of constitutional affairs, spokesman for Blair's office said.

Staying put were the kingpins of Blair's cabinet: Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, Home Secretary David Blunkett and Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon.

Political analysts kept their bets open on Hoon, however, after he was widely tipped to get a new, high-profile job as thanks for performing well for Blair in the rocky run-up to the Iraq war.