Channon relegated to the transport hot seat
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• Last Sunday's Cabinet reshuffle left Paul Channon as the sixth Secretary of State for Transport in eight years of Conservative Government. He was previously the Trade and Industry Secretary and his transfer to Marsharn Street has been greeted with considerable surprise in the House of Commons.
Many observers feel that Channon's performance at Trade and Industry was "ineffective", and he had been widely tipped for the chop. It has been made quite clear that Channon's transfer from Trade and Industry to Transport is considered a "demotion" in the Cabinet.
On the other hand, John Moore — the previous Transport Secretary — has been "promoted" to Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Security. This move has been described as a reward for Moore, widely regarded as a Prime Ministerial favourite.
Channon joined the Cabinet in the wake of the Westland affair and its associated resignations last year. Until then he had been regarded as a safe pair of hands and a "steady" middle-ranking batsman. Between his appointment as Trade Minister in June 1983, and his sudden promotion to Secretary of State in January 1986. Channon was passed over several times for further responsibility. His chances of reaching the top table were generally thought to have expired.
Channon is not regarded as an innovative Minister and the broad scope of the DTp's current policies will probably remain unchanged. Higher lorry weights are unlikely to be the sort of issue that Channon would want to steer through a hostile House of Commons.
He is MP for Southend West, a seat which was a key Alliance target at last week's General Election. He held on comfortably however, aided by an eve-of-poll visit by Mrs Thatcher. The seat has been held for the Tories by various members of the Channon family for the past 70 years. 0 Mrs Thatcher's previous Transport Secretaries were, in chronological order, Norman Fowler (1979-81), David Howell (1981-83), Tom King (1983), Nicholas Ridley (198386) and John Moore (1986-87).