Puffbox.com

Adventures in government, politics and open source. Mostly WordPress-related.

Simon Dickson, principal consultant at Puffbox, has been blogging about e-government, online politics, and WordPress since 2005. Some important people read it.

Reshuffle junior moves

6 October 2008 ,

Please, please, can we not have reshuffles on a Friday? The Cabinet positions were all confirmed by the end of the day... but the junior moves were certainly happening late into Friday evening, and one assumes, over the weekend. And whilst I'm sure a few government webbies were grateful for the weekend overtime, it does leave us in a situation where government websites left, right and centre are out of date - some more visibly than others.

I'm aware of two changes of interest to the blogosphere. Margaret Hodge, whose blog I only discovered the other week, will no longer be writing anything at all - having reportedly taken compassionate leave from her DCMS job to care for her sick husband, reportedly to return next year (?). And Tom Harris lost his junior position at Transport - breaking the news on his blog, naturally.

(Update: I've seen several suggestions that Tom H may have lost his position because of his blog; equally, there are numerous comments on the blog lamenting his loss. Tom picks out one particular comment, which is especially telling.)

I'm reliably informed that Tom Watson remains at the Cabinet Office, but has also been given a (party?) campaigning role. Details, though, are sketchy at best.

(Further update: Tom has now confirmed that he's staying, and is happy to do so. 'I've got some audacious plans for the digital engagement agenda,' he writes. 'It's time to get people moving.' Hmm, intriguing.)

It'll be very interesting to see how it all pans out. The Guardian's list is the most comprehensive I've seen so far (and yes, that does reflect badly on HMG). It's immediately striking how many junior ministers are joint appointments across departments - perhaps most intriguingly Phil Woolas, whose role spans the Treasury and Home Office (where he'll be immigration minister).

Puffbox is registered as a limited company in England and Wales. Company number 621 0273. VAT number 912 9843 08.
Registered address (for nasty legal purposes only): Griffins Court, 24-32 London Road, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 1JX