Making sense of Brown's reshuffle

To understand the last few days' events at Westminster, you need to remember just one thing - the biggest threat to Gordon Brown at the next General Election is that the British people will decide it is "time for a change" and therefore vote Tory. His central strategy therefore is to make it look as though his new government represents 'change'.

That is why every cabinet minister bar (bizarrely) the Defence Secretary has been changed.

That is why jobs and advisory posts were offered to Lib Dems, Tories, and 'experts' of all sorts.

That is why his first speech outside 10 Downing Street used the word 'change' 8 times in 3 minutes!

Of course from a Lib Dem perspective, we need to remind people that Gordon Brown has been at the heart of the Government for more than ten years - signing the cheques for Iraq, backing ID cards etc. And also that for those who do want change, the Tory 'heir to Blair' doesn't constitute change.

I must get on to that chap who is writing the next Lib Dem manifesto...