TENSIONS within the Department for Education and Employment are likely to ease with this week’s reshuffling of the ministerial team.

The school reforms driven by Stephen Byers, now chief secretary to the Treasury, are to be implemented by two ministers not as closely associated with the Blair project.

The promotion of Estelle Morris to the standards brief and the appointment of Charles Clarke, the former chief of staff in Neil Kinnock’s office, as education junior minister shifts the politicalbalance of the team away from the modernisers.

David Blunkett, who as expected remains Education and Employment Secretary, is likely to have pressed for Ms Morris to be appointed his lieutenant. As junior minister, she has avoided the limelight, but gained the trust of senior figures in education.

His other senior minister, Andrew Smith, keeps his post of responsibility for parts of theGovernment’s welfare-to-work programme.

There had been speculation Mr Smith would be replaced by Harriet Harman, but the job has already effectively been downgraded with the removal of much of the work to the Treasury.

The arrival in Government of Margaret Hodge, a Blairite, who is unfairly cast as one of Tony’s cronies because he used to live in her street in Islington, should mean greater attention to the need to develop childcare policies across departments.

Tessa Blackstone, the higher education minister, has managed to hang on to her job despitecriticism of her role in introducing student tuition fees.

For the future, there may be changes in style - Mr Blunkett prefers to talk in terms of partnerships with local education authorities and less about zero tolerance.

The absence of Mr Byers from the education department may reduce the influence of Chris Woodhead, the chief inspector of schools.

The decision on whether Mr Woodhead stays for another five years is due shortly. He is nearing the final 12 months of his contract.

However, much of the key policies dealing with failing schools and the new role for local authorities is in place.

The toughest problem that still has to be solved is devising a pay structure that rewards effective teachers and encourages new recruits.

Teachers may take the view Ms Morris, with her personal experience of the classroom, is likely to be sympathetic.

The reality, though, is that Mr Byers, as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, will be able to exert his influence on any scheme that involves the payroll of such alarge section of the public sector.

According to Ms Morris at this week’s conference of the Professional Association of Teachers, education may have lost a minister, but it now has a friend in the Treasury. “You can rest assured that David Blunkett and Iwill be reminding him of that,” the new minister said.

The problem with friends in the Treasury is that they know more about you than you would like.

Comment, page 12

* George Mudie

Age: 53

New Job:Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Lifelong Learning.

Old job: Deputy chief whip.

Education: State schools in Scotland.

Background: Was the youngest-ever leader of Leeds Council aged 35, where he became embroiled in controversy over a contract leading to a reprimand in the auditor’s report.

He became MP for LeedsEast in 1992 and was promoted to deputy chief whip last year, after being an Opposition whip since 1994.

He is also a member of the Selection Select Committee.

He is married with children.

Traits: Described as “discreet in his personal background” in Andrew Roth’s ‘ParliamentaryProfiles’, but does admit to being a football fan.

Voted against the lowering of age of consent to 16 for homosexuals.