New Labour, (some) new faces
Merit alone is not always enough to secure a place in the cabinet
ALL MPs fight for re-election as if their jobs depended on it, which, as it happens, they do. Some Labour MPs will try that little bit harder in coming weeks. These are the MPs who aim not only to impress voters but to catch the eye of Tony Blair, in the hope that he will put them in the cabinet. But although no prime minister wants duffers around his table, such jobs are not always awarded on ability alone. Among other factors Mr Blair is liable to take into account are:
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “New Labour, (some) new faces”
From the May 26th 2001 edition
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