Role of Scottish Secretary will survive reshuffle

Published on Saturday 27 September 2008 23:29

THE post of Scottish Secretary is set for a reprieve in Gordon Brown's imminent reshuffle, say senior Whitehall sources.

Rather than scrap the 300-year-old position, the Prime Minister is expected to reinstate it as a single cabinet job, or – as at present and the most likely option – hand the job to another Scottish minister.

Europe Minister Jim Murphy is the hot favourite to take on the job, with Brown believed to want him to "take the fight" to Alex Salmond in Scotland.

The likely retention of the Scottish Secretary post comes despite widespread speculation that the title was to be ditched and swept up into a newly formed Department of the Nations and Regions, with one minister responsible for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

But senior Whitehall figures say that such a move is now unlikely to take place.

Currently, the duties of the Scottish Secretary, who have lost nearly all their power since devolution, are being carried out by Defence Secretary Des Browne. He is certain to be relieved of the dual role in the reshuffle following the widespread attacks from sections of the military, who said it was wrong for the Defence Secretary to have two jobs.

The reshuffle could be announced this week, as Brown seeks to re-establish a full team following the chaotic resignation of Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly. Her resignation emerged at the Labour conference in Manchester last week when it was finally confirmed in a hotel bar at 3am.

Immigration Minister Liam Byrne and Murphy are being lined up to take the job.

Handing both the Transport and Scottish portfolios to Murphy has precedent, as both Alistair Darling and Douglas Alexander combined the two jobs between 2003 and 2007.

On the future of the Scottish Secretary's job, one insider said: "The job will definitely stay. We're expecting Jim to take it on. It could be that he gets Transport as well and combines the two."

Downing Street has toiled to find a way of ditching the job for several years. Tony Blair sought to scrap the post in 2003 only to have to reverse his decision within hours after being informed that special legislation would be required to remove it.

Officials have been working on plans to amalgamate the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish offices, but there are still details to be ironed out, which, sources say, make an immediate change unlikely. The post – created in 1703 – pre-dates that of Prime Minister.

The reshuffle speculation comes amid continuing talk among rebels about a challenge to Brown when MPs return from their summer break next week. With Foreign Secretary David Miliband seen to have harmed his standing last week after a poor conference, leading rebels said there was now growing support for Health Secretary Alan Johnson to put himself forward as a replacement.

But last weekend Johnson ruled himself out of going for the top job.

"I haven't got any false modesty but I don't aspire to that job," he said.