Blair's First Cabinet

It is a very interesting exercise to look on Blair's First Cabinet so many of them like say Gavin Strang swiftly vanished into anonymity. Others like say Jack Straw or Gordon Brown have become extremely experienced ministers. Perhaps the saddest note though is that of the original 23, 3 have already died- Mo Mowlam, Donald Dewar and Robin Cook- and Dewar at 62 was the oldest of the 3. All of the three were in different ways respected figures- Mowlam passionately cared about Northern Ireland, Dewar personally came up with the Scottish assembly and Cook was one of the greatest Parliamentarians (both as an opposition spokesman, a Leader of the House and lastly a rebel) of the age- and it gives one pause to realise that none of them are now alive.