Westminster Lowdown with Colin Breed, M.P.
All change at the top
The Government's ex-pected reshuffle is clearly causing some a great deal of concern and giving other members a spring in their step.
The Prime Minister has a difficult job.
He has many back-bench MPs worthy of promotion.
But, to reward them, he would have to remove some long-standing colleagues and some others who have simply not performed, some indeed whom he appointed to their present jobs.
He knows that what should be done will place potential critics on his back benches and his new team is likely to be the one which will take the Government up to the next election.
This reshuffle is, therefore, critical and is made no easier by the need to find a candidate for the post of Mayor of London.
the fact is, no-one in the Labour cabinet is remotely interested in the job and Mr Blair is determined that Ken Living-stone will not be elected.
Thus he needs a credible candidate; but who will oblige?
Of course, the leadership of the Liberal De-mocrats is now in full swing, with five candidates offering themselves to the membership.
By common consent, this is too many and a proportional representation system based on a single transferable vote could produce an unexpected result.
Many members of Parliament across the House have expressed their opinions of Paddy Ashdown's reign as leader of the Liberal Democrats and, without exception, they have acknowledged his great contribution during the last 10 years.
He will certainly be a hard act to follow and, although not someone who has naturally embraced the traditions and 'rough house' debating tactics of West-minster, he will, I am sure, take much pleasure in receiving from those who so often sneered at him messages of good will and praise.
Members of Parlia-ment are human and, although they delight in robust debate, they are generous to those of their number who retire from office or, more often, are removed in a reshuffle.
There will be many notes and cards of congratulation and consideration in the next few weeks, as some come and other go, but that is the reality of life in Parliament.