A Cabinet-level Minister for London

Great news for our Capital that we now have a Minister for London attending Cabinet following the reshuffle.

Tessa Jowell, who represents nearby Dulwich and West Norwood and who throughout her Ministerial career has been a staunch advocate for London has been given specific responsibility for the Capital and our 2012 Olympic bid in Gordon Brown's new government.

The only slight downside from his radical reshuffle is that there is only one "full" cabinet minister who represents a London constituency - Harriet Harman, who represents Camberwell and Peckham - she's the new Leader of the House of Commons. Given that Gordon Brown has recognised the crisis in affordable housing that is most acute in the Capital, it's important that after a decade in which London's priorities have not received the attention they deserve London's voice is heard loud and clear.

One of my priorities as Putney's champion within the Labour ranks is to make sure it is.

London has a great pool of talent in our MPs - at least on the Labour benches - but a lot of them are fairly new, elected in 2005. Look out for several London MPs to fill junior government ranks in the next few days though, including my friend and Tooting MP Sadiq Khan, who I'm tipping for a ministerial appointment when the new Prime Minister announces them.

*** UPDATE ***

Sadiq has just been made a Government Assistant Whip - congratulations go to him.