Liam Byrne replacing Hazel Blears, one of the highest-profile roles in the government outside the cabinet. However, just a fortnight later Home Secretary John Reid moved him to the immigration role, switching portfolios with Tony McNulty. McNulty had been connected with the foreign prisoners scandal that caused Tony Blair to sack Charles Clarke in May 2006. Byrne's move was seen as an attempt by Reid to establish an entirely new team to sort out the immigration system. During this period he was also Minister for the West Midlands. Gordon Brown named him Minister for the Cabinet Office in October 2008, replacing the
Principal Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Principal Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs The British Diplomatic Service post of Principal Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs is the head of the Foreign Secretary's Private Office. The list below includes holders of the post of Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Principal Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs up to 1968, when the office of Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs was created. In the 19th century, the Foreign Secretary might have only one