Blair Ally to Step Down Home secretary's surprise announcement frees new PM to overhaul cabinet By Sam Gale Rosen Posted May 7, 2007 9:25 AM CDT Copied Britain's Home Secretary John Reid, right, and US Secretary of State for Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, left, arrive at a press conference at the Homde Office in London, Friday April 6, 2007. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) (Associated Press) British Home Secretary John Reid will stand down, he announced yesterday, giving PM apparent Gordon Brown space to rejigger the cabinet when he succeeds Tony Blair. Tensions have run high between the old and new Labour leaders' supporters, but Reid stressed that his surprise departure was personal; the Guardian reports that wider decamping by Blair allies is unlikely. Brown had been willing to keep Reid in the cabinet, but not necessarily as home secretary. Names of possible successors, including ex-foreign secretary Jack Straw, are already in play as Brown attempts to balance distaste for Blair and thirst for new faces with the critical need for experience. "Fresh faces are fresh only for a week," one minister said. Read These Next A look at President Trump's fast pivot on Minneapolis. Minnesota judge makes an unusual move against the ICE chief. Sydney Sweeney is at the center of a controversy yet again. Canada's Mark Carney is standing by his big Davos speech. Report an error