Brown lines up his government

Part of the difficulty in negotiating the new reform treaty, according to senior European Commission officials, was that they had to take into account not just Tony Blair’s "red lines" but also "Brown lines", ie, areas which Gordon Brown, allegedly looking over Blair’s shoulder, viewed as non-negotiable.

This anecdote is one of many which have nourished the public perception that the UK’s newly crowned prime minister is an instinctive Eurosceptic.

But the centrepiece of Brown’s immediate reshuffle of almost the entire cabinet is to bring in arguably Labour’s most convinced pro-European, former environment minister David Miliband.

The first time Miliband came to prominence was in 2001, when he was handpicked by Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt to be part of a senior group of wise men advising the Belgian EU presidency on the drafting the 2001 Laeken declaration on the future of Europe. The declaration, which laid the groundwork for the convention which produced the draft EU constitution, set out the priorities for the Union and stressed the need to tackle citizens’ concerns while acting in a more transparent manner.

Although making a positive case for the EU is not the cleverest way to further your career in British politics, Miliband uses the necessity for EU members to act together to tackle common challenges like climate change as an example of the need for co-operation. In a recent interview with European Voice he referred to the need for an "Environmental Union", stressing that the EU should examine all its policies to ensure that they contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Miliband has also signalled a potentially more conciliatory approach to diplomatic issues, talking about the need for diplomacy to be "patient" as well as purposeful. This marks a departure from the strident confidence of the Blair government in the run-up to the Iraq war. Miliband was not in the cabinet when the decision was taken to invade Iraq. The appointment of former United Nations deputy secretary-general Mark Malloch Brown, a critic of the US treatment of the UN, as minister for Africa, Asia and the United Nations, also sends a signal of a change in approach to international affairs that the UK’s partners may appreciate.

Jim Murphy has been appointed Europe minister while his predecessor, Geoff Hoon, becomes parliamentary secretary to the Treasury and Chief Whip.

Trade and development issues will be a key focus of Brown’s international policy agenda and it is not surprising that he has appointed a close ally and former Europe minister (and fellow Scot) Douglas Alexander as international development secretary. Alexander was also secretary of state for transport when the EU negotiated the Open Skies deal with the US, which opened up landing rights at the UK’s main Heathrow airport, potentially harming British Airways, the country’s largest carrier.

Hilary Benn, the former development secretary, takes Miliband’s old job in charge of the environment, food and rural affairs. As well as taking responsibility for climate change and the negotiations for a successor agreement to the Kyoto Protocol, Benn, a vegetarian, will represent the UK in talks on reforms of farming policy including the wine sector and the "health check" on the 2003 reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy.

John Hutton, the new minister for business, enterprise and regulatory reform, will be in charge of the energy portfolio which will be a major item when the Commission presents its proposals for further reform of energy markets in September.

Another Scot, Alistair Darling, takes over from Brown as chancellor of the exchequer or finance minister. In a newspaper interview this week, Darling signalled continuity with his predecessor’s policies, attacking French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s defence of key industries as "protectionism".

Jacqui Smith takes over as the new minister for the home department, dealing with criminal law, counter-terrorism and immigration, while Jack Straw takes back some of the responsibilities he had as home secretary in 1997-2001 as the new justice minister, a post created by the splitting of the old Home Office.

An EU-friendly team?

• David Miliband: Foreign secretary

• Jim Murphy: Europe minister

• Mark Malloch Brown: Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN

• Douglas Alexander: International development

• Digby Jones: Trade and investment

• Des Browne: Defence

• Alistair Darling: Chancellor of the exchequer

• Hilary Benn: Environment, food and rural affairs

• John Hutton: Business, enterprise and regulatory reform

• Ruth Kelly: Transport

• Jack Straw: Justice

• Jacqui Smith: Home department

• Ed Balls: Children, schools and families

Part of the difficulty in negotiating the new reform treaty, according to senior European Commission officials, was that they had to take into account not just Tony Blair’s "red lines" but also "Brown lines", ie, areas which Gordon Brown, allegedly looking over Blair’s shoulder, viewed as non-negotiable.