Brown's First Hundred: Day 2

The new cabinet is refreshing for its changed faces - I'll miss the gutless Doc Red Top and the haughty Margaret Beckett like a pair of verucas - and interesting for the signals it strives to send: young, brainy, as doctrinally eclectic as "New" Labour gets and ready to recant about Iraq. I'm very pleased to see John Denham get a job, though I'd have sooner seen him in the Home Office than at, er, Innovation, Universities and Skills. But that brings me to Jacqui Smith. Once we get past the novelty of her being female and fairly unknown we find a firm fan of ID cards who is convinced they will help fight terrorism and a big supporter of the war and replacing Trident. No change there, I think. Then there's loveable Jack Straw at Justice who I've just seen on Newsnight telling us how he'll be defining the citizen's relationship with the state. Shudder. And at Communities? Happy Hazel, the Blair cheerleader. Oh dear. I'm still trying to be optimistic, but I may need a lot help.