New Labour, few strangers
15 Jan 2000
The Labour landslide at the General Election has lead to unfamiliar roles for some familiar faces. The departments of the environment and transport come under John Prescott's `super-ministry', with Michael Meacher taking responsibility for water, health and safety, and Angela Eagle the junior minister responsible for the environment and energy efficiency.
At the Department of Trade and Industry, Margaret Beckett takes the Cabinet seat as President of the Board of Trade, with John Battle in charge of science, technology, industry and energy; Ian MacCartney for competitiveness; and Barbara Roche as the junior minister for small firms. Sir David Simon, formerly chairman of the BP Group, has severed his links to the company and will be made a life peer, working across the DTI and the Treasury as minister for trade and competitiveness in Europe (see News). Jack Cunningham is minister for agriculture, fisheries and food; with Lord Donoughue handling farming and the food industry. Finally, the drugs industry will find itself dealing with health secretary Frank Dobson and minister of state Baroness Jay, who is in charge of scientific and pharmaceutical issues.
