New British prime minister, Gordon Brown, has today (28 June) appointed Ruth Kelly as Secretary of State for Transport.
Prior to her move, Kelly, 39, was Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and was frequently in the headlines, but is presumably hoping for a quieter role in transport.
In something of a surprise move, former transport Secretary, Douglas Alexander, becomes International Development Secretary, although he has been equally given the task of running Labour”s next election campaign, rumoured to be as early as next year.
Despite looking for calmer waters, Kelly will nonetheless face a busy in-tray, as transport continues to dominate the headlines with aircraft emissions, rail ticket price hikes, road tolls, runway building and fuel costs, just part of the agenda.
And in a co-incidental move, newly-elected French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, has also appointed Dominique Bussereau as Kelly”s transport counterpart in Paris, although his department forms part of a huge empire that also encompasses planning, ecology and regional development.
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