Alan Milburn may be offered coalition role - reports

[Hopeless Romantic]

Former Labour cabinet minister Alan Milburn is to be offered a role as social mobility tsar to the coalition government, according to reports.

Mr Milburn undertook a major study on social mobility before standing down from Parliament at the last election.

He may now be offered a post advising the new government on improving the life chances of the least well-off.

It is thought Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is seeking to affirm the government's commitment to fairness.

According to the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Milburn would also report to parliamentary select committees on the progress being made by the government on social mobility.

'Closed shop mentality'
His remit would also include improving the life chances of under-privileged children.

Mr Milburn's study, undertaken at the request of former prime minister Gordon Brown, contained proposals on breaking down the "closed shop mentality" of the professional classes.

Mr Clegg will make a speech on social mobility next week on the coalition's 100th day in office.

If Mr Milburn agrees to offer independent advice to the government, then the deputy leader may feel this will help remind voters of the coalition's pledge to create a fairer society, said BBC political correspondent Iain Watson.

Mr Milburn would join other senior Labour figures who have agreed to offer their independent advice to the government.

Former welfare minister Frank Field is devising an anti-poverty strategy, and former work and pensions secretary John Hutton is reviewing public sector pension provision.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-10977806

[non sociopath skin]

1. The Ministry of All The Assholes?

Possibly Bonker Blunkett too.

mirror.co.uk/news/politics/2010/08/15/blair-s-old-pals-to-join-cam-ranks-115875-22488513/

Let our joy be unconfined!

Ah, how the years have flown since The Milburn was a leading light of the late, lamented "Days of Hope" bookshop in the Toon - better known to some as "Haze of Dope" because of the recreational proclivities of Big Al and his comrades.

Methinks I can still hear the merry thumping as he and Mo O' Toole (now, sadly replaced by the great unwashed of the Northern Region as MEP) entertained those assembled with spirited renderings of the best of Roger Mellie's Profanosaurus while metaphorically kicking the shit out of each other.

The Dear Dead Days, Gone Forever, Gol-ding It!

Still, The Miburn will make an excellent Czar, so long as Young Dave keeps him in Faberge eggs ...

The Skin

[T_i_B]

3. Blunkett? That's even worse!

Blunkett is the worst possible man to call on when the government needs to make spending cuts.

[non sociopath skin]

4. ... or the best man if your name's Dave, Nick or Tony.

The Skin

[LeftishBrit]

2. Not that surprised...

He's not as bad as Frank Field; but he was quite the right-wing Blairite in his time, supporting the NHS-privatization crap (mild compared with the present stuff, but still!) that went on under Blair.