Mr Tony Blair completed his long-awaited Cabinet reshuffle last night, amid sustained and bitter criticism from the Conservatives that he had sacked the infantry instead of the officers.
At the end of a staggered reshuffle which began on Wednesday night, 14 ministers left government, 13 new ministers were appointed, 14 ministers moved sideways and 11 were promoted within government.
Among the new faces in government, the "maverick" leftwing MP, Mr Chris Mullin, who campaigned for the release of the Birmingham Six, was a surprise junior ministerial appointment at the department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR). The 52-year-old MP for Sunderland South also headed an inquiry into the practice of Freemasonry when he was chairman of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee.
He appeared to share the surprise of many observers when he emerged from Number 10 yesterday and said it was "a funny old world". His transformation from an MP - dismissed as a republican sympathiser by his critics - is perhaps all the more surprising as he once felt compelled to condemn the "authoritarian streak" running through New Labour.
The departure from government of the sports minister, Mr Tony Banks, who will now head England's bid to host the World Cup in 2006, brought promotion from the Home Office for the Northern Ireland-born MP, Ms Kate Hoey, the first woman Sports Minister.
As a pro-hunting MP, Ms Hoey's promotion is seen as a timely decision on Mr Blair's part as the Home Office prepares for a battle in the Commons over plans to ban hunting.
Among the five women newly appointed to the government, is Baroness Scotland of Asthal, who becomes a junior minister at the Foreign Office. Lady Scotland is the first black woman to become a government minister, albeit a junior one. Baroness Symons becomes the first female Defence minister. She will have responsibility for developing defence procurement.
However, there was some comfort for the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr John Prescott, when press speculation that his vast ministry at the DETR would be split between ministers did not bear fruit. He did however, lose two key aides - Mr Alan Meale, a junior environment minister and Mr Richard Cabourn, who moves to Trade and Industry.
Mr Blair has installed a close ally of his own at the DETR, namely Lord MacDonald, who is seen as a rising Labour star. He has been given the task of selling the government's beleaguered transport policy to the voters.
With resistance among the Cabinet, most notably from the Northern Ireland Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, and the Health Secretary, Mr Frank Dobson, Mr Blair had little room for manoeuvre and all but one post was reassigned. He insisted that his intention all along was a thorough shake-up of the middle ranking and junior ministerial posts and most changes were made at Mr Prescott's transport department and there was some tinkering of posts at the Foreign Office.
The enforced move, as a result of devolution, promoted the former Northern Ireland Political Development Minister, Mr Paul Murphy into Mr Alun Michael's former post as Secretary of State for Wales. Mr Murphy's replacement is the MP for Knowsley North, Mr George Howarth. But Mr Howarth, described by Downing Street as a "well-suited, able minister for the job", is made a Parliamentary Under-Secretary, or junior minister for political development, rather than a full minister of state. This decision was made, Downing Street said, because there was "not the full range of North-South Bodies" to work with under the Belfast Agreement.
As the new junior ministers arrived at Downing Street throughout the day, the Conservative leader, Mr William Hague, said Mr Blair would come to regret his "non-shuffle".
"It looks as if he's locked in his Cabinet and John Prescott has thrown away the key," Mr Hague said.
But the Cabinet Office Minister, Mr Jack Cunningham, said there was no climb-down by Mr Blair: "The Prime Minister isn't the kind of person who is either manipulated by the media or scared off by people. When he's made up his mind he's going to do something he does it."