1999 British cabinet reshuffle

On 27 July 1999, British Prime Minister Tony Blair held his first major cabinet reshuffle of his government.

Background
It was considered that Health secretary Frank Dobson would stand in the 2000 London mayoral election against Labour-turned-Independent Ken Livingstone. But he denied accusations of him being moved out of government.

Mo Mowlam expected to be replaced as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland by Peter Mandelson but this did not happen until October 1999. The reshuffle was anticipated as being the cull of Old Labour and the promotion of Blairites from the 1997 general election. It was reported that Alastair Campbell, Blair's Press Secretary, had influence over changes at Cabinet level.

The reshuffle was delayed by a week following Labour's unexpected success in the 1999 Eddisbury by-election.

Cabinet-level changes

 * Margaret Beckett becomes Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
 * The Baroness Jay of Paddington becomes Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal, Leader of the House of Lords and Minister for Women
 * Stephen Byers becomes Chief Secretary to the Treasury
 * Ann Taylor becomes Chief Whip, which became a cabinet position
 * Jack Cunningham becomes Cabinet Office Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
 * Nick Brown becomes Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
 * Alistair Darling becomes Secretary of State for Social Security
 * Paul Murphy promoted to Secretary of State for Wales from Minister of State for Northern Ireland
 * Peter Mandelson moves from being Minister Without Portfolio to being Trade and Industry Secretary
 * John Reid becomes Transport Minister, which is no longer a cabinet position (although Reid will continue attending cabinet meetings)
 * David Simon, Baron Simon of Highbury left as the trade minister responsible for preparing Britain joining the euro.

Ivor Richard, Harriet Harman, David Clark and Gavin Strang left the cabinet

The President of the Board of Trade ceased to be a title used by the Trade Secretary

Junior ministerial changes


Reception
The reshuffle was described as "problematic". Journalist Anne Perkins wrote in favour of scrapping cabinet reshuffles.