Questions to be answered

Charles Clarke has been stabbed in the back in today's reshuffle. I suggested earlier this week that Charles Clarke was being saved to be the sacrificial lamb in the event of a disastrous night for Labour, and so it proves - except that Charles Clarke seems to have been an unwitting participant. If this truly did come as a surprise and his belief was that he would stay in his job, then Blair really has done the dirty on him. To express confidence one day and to sack the next is just simply not on, whatever Charles Clarke's shortcomings.

There are a number of questions which we as taxpayers are entitled to ask:

1. Why is the Deputy Prime Minister retaining a huge salary, grace and favour accomodation and the title of Deputy Prime Minister, despite having a huge decrease in responsibility?

2. Why has Margaret Beckett been promoted despite her dreadful performance in DEFRA?

3. Why, despite the abject failure of New Labour, is the major culprit refusing to take responsibility - instead trying to palm the blame off on others?

4. Why has the new Chairman of the Labour Party been given a Minsterial job, no role, but presumably all the benefits that come with being a cabinet Minister. Will they publish a full job description to prove that hazel Blears is earning her Ministerial Salary?

My final point is that Gordon Brown is supposedly meeting with Tony Blair this weekend. I wonder if he will deliver an ultimatum?