Children's minister Beverley Hughes to stand down

Children & Young People Now - 02/06/09

Hughes gave the reason for her decision as "family circumstances".

She will relinquish her role as children's minister at the next reshuffle, expected on Friday after this week's Euro and local elections.

John Chowcat, general secretary of children's services union Aspect, said: "I would honestly say this is a significant loss to the children's services arena. She has been consistently involved in children's services, whilst other ministers have come and gone. She has worked very hard and been well respected."

Barry Sheerman, chair of the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee, said: "I am very sad to hear Beverley is stepping down. She has been a consistent force for good. She has brought stability to the department, which is what you need. There is too much churn in ministers. I'll be very sad to see her go."

Paul Ennals, chief executive of the National Children's Bureau, said: "It will be a blow for the children's sector. She has been a powerful advocate for Every Child Matters and has won the respect of people from all corners of the children's sector."

John Freeman, director of the React programme at the Local Government Association, said: "I'm really sorry she is stepping down. She has been a powerful champion for children's services and given a great deal of professional leadership to the sector. She has been properly challenging to the sector, to make sure we do the best we can, and she has always had children's best interests at heart. She has been a political friend to children's services, so this is very saddening and a huge disappointment."  

Meanwhile, betting on who will be the next Chancellor was suspended at 9am today after bookies' favourite Children's Secretary Ed Balls was backed heavily over the weekend.

As Chancellor Alistair Darling continues to come under fire for his part in the row over expenses, media speculation is growing as to who might succeed him in his role following the Cabinet reshuffle.

Children's Secretary Ed Balls has been tipped as a hot favourite, with The Times backing Balls as the obvious candidate stating he is the "most economically literate member of the cabinet". While the Daily Mail is against Balls stepping in as Chancellor stating he is "tainted with the mistakes of the past".

A spokesman for William Hill said: "We understand there is going to be a reshuffle on Friday and we know who it (the next Chancellor) is going to be."

He added that odds have not been calculated for a possibly replacement for Balls or Hughes.