Ever conscious of the need to command the headlines, British prime minister Tony Blair yesterday extensively reshuffled his cabinet immediately after Labour's large losses in the local government elections. His purpose is to refresh and renew the government before he departs as its leader ahead of the next election, although he regrets making the commitment to go.
But it makes sense that he should tackle the deep-seated political problems thrown up by this result and several recent scandals rather than bequeath them to his expected successor, Gordon Brown. Yesterday's shuffle strengthens Mr Brown's supporters in the cabinet. Much will depend on his assessment of the damage recently done to Labour.
Mr Blair had little choice but to sack Charles Clarke as home secretary following his inept handling of the released foreign prisoner issue. His departure, together with that of Ms Ruth Kelly as education secretary, removes two Blairites from the cabinet. John Prescott just hangs on as Mr Blair's deputy, stripped of real functions after presiding over such a drubbing at local government level, for which he has most responsibility. Margaret Beckett's return to the cabinet as foreign secretary brings back a talented figure, replacing Jack Straw. Peter Hain stays as Northern Ireland secretary with an important brief to encourage resumed power-sharing.
It is an extensive change certainly, but hardly radical. Mr Brown's observation yesterday that sorting out these problems has to be done competently, efficiently, and "in the next few days - not just the next few weeks" indicates his impatience with the drift of policy and the erosion of Labour's support. The party secured only 26 per cent of the local government votes, compared to 27 per cent for the Liberal Democrats and 40 per cent for the Conservatives.
While normal electoral cycles explain much of this dismal performance, there is no doubt the result gives new Conservative leader David Cameron a substantial boost. His party does not as yet challenge Labour nationally in a sustained way, and the British economy remains relatively buoyant, giving Labour real purchase still. But increasingly its renewal will be seen to require a change of leadership, irrespective of how effectively Mr Blair weathers this particular storm.
To secure his legacy he needs to put Iraq behind him, as a new government is formed there and British troops begin their withdrawal later this year and next. He will want to see the educational and health reforms on which he sets such store make progress with better political management. And Northern Ireland is working to a November deadline on the restoration of power-sharing. Mr Brown will want a clean slate and a long run into the next election to give him time to cultivate his image and agenda. He will become increasingly impatient the longer Mr Blair stays beyond the end of this year and now has an enlarged basis of support within Labour's ranks.