Darling........you have got some balls.

Remember the much hyped Labour reshuffle of June.

The resignations of the ladies, Purnell, Flints window dressing comments, Blears most horrid moment, the arrival of Bob Ainsworth god help us, and the main story.

The apparent dead cert that the Chancellor Alistair Darling was on his way out.

Well apparently Alistair Darling remained as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the June reshuffle after telling Gordon Brown that he would leave the Government rather than move to another job.
Damn where did those balls come from????
Blears must have left them on her desk!
Badger told Gordon that as the Prime Minister he had every right to put whoever he wanted into the Treasury. But his insistence that he would not take another role leaving Brown powerless to move him. Instead, his position in the Treasury was strengthened and Ed Balls, whom Brown had wanted to bring in, remained as Schools Secretary.

He needed Mrs Cooper with him as Ed is a strong Brownite.

The conversation between Mr Darling and Mr Brown took place early in the week of the June European elections, which were followed immediately by the reshuffle.

There had been widespread reports the previous weekend that Mr Brown was toying with putting his old ally, Mr Balls, into the Treasury. The job switch is known to have been backed privately by Lord Mandelson, who was to emerge from the reshuffle as First Secretary and Mr Brown’s deputy in all but name.

The PM failed to quash speculation that he was thinking of moving Darling, despite being given several opportunities to do so.

It is believed that when the conversation between Darling and Brown took place Brown was ready to offer him the job of Foreign Secretary, Home Secretary or any other senior position.

But Mr Darling pre-empted such offers by making it plain that while it was Mr Brown’s prerogative to bring in someone else, he was not interested in doing another job.

No wonder Blinky Balls had a face like thunder the following week. Yvette would have had her work cut out to calm him down. Still a bit more property investing and calm would have been restored.

However I feel that was Darlings last throw of the dice. He will be out into the wilderness after the Gen election or when Mandleson finishes his behind closed doors job on him.