Gordon Brown, still the UK prime minister, is a prisoner of his cabinet. Last week, during a reshuffle, he was unable to change the holders of key posts for fear of strengthening the hands of those who would remove him from office. These immovables are now beyond the prime minister’s control. One of them, in particular, should exercise his new authority.

The prime minister made little secret of his desire to shift Alistair Darling, the chancellor of the exchequer, to another job. But last Friday, when the moment came, Mr Brown found he could not move him. Mr Darling refused and the prime minister, enfeebled by party mutiny, was too weak to insist. The chancellor, once teased for being Mr Brown’s puppet, finds himself firmly in control of UK economic policy.