A Government of all the talents.

The (for the moment) Prime Minister set out to achieve many things. One of these was a government of the rainbow. So he appointed a conservative MP, since resigned, Sir Digby Jones and Admiral West. A Government of all the Talents would amaze us.

I suspect that the (for the moment) Prime Minister is disappointed at what he has received for (our) money. Sir Digby has refused to submit to the Labour whip, and has been otherwise unwilling to conform. The admiral has shown moments of independence, and we question how much longer he will be prepared to suffer the Prime Minister.

The problem is that the Prime Minister is not a team player himself, unless you regard him as being a team of one. He needs a sounding board, and has surrounded himself with a team of young, inexperienced, "Yes-men". They have inherited cabinet responsibilities which he exercises. They are little known and one or two may emerge with some credit eventually. So far, those exposed to scrutiny have done little to suggest ability - the hapless Darling and the pale and out-of-depth Jacqui Smith.

In cutting himself off from the traditional civil service and its expertise, in relying on political advisers, above all in having only his young and eager-to-please acolytes to check and comment on his thoughts, Brown is risking himself and us. Finally, in trying to run everything from Number 10, he seems to be implying that he can run an economy and society and has all the information required. The real world, Prime Minister, is much more complicated than your pride and ideology will admit, and certainly too much for a single mind to comprehend, even one as brilliant as yours! We fear for our country!