During a recent parliamentary by election, the future of the local hospital became a major issue.  In order to play down the issue Labour wheeled in John Reid, then Health Secretary, to deliver a strong rebuke to the campaigning smears of their opponents.

"The hospital is safe for as long as I am Health Secretary" declared Dr Reid.

Unfortunately, this cut little ice with those that knew a little about his ministerial career.  His list of appointments shows he's the most moved Minister in the Government:

• As a Junior Minister John Reid served as Minister of State for Defence from May 1997 until he became Minister State for Transport in 1998;
  
• then he was Secretary of State for Scotland from May 1999;
  
• Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from January 2001;
  
• Chairman of the Labour Party and Minister Without Portfolio from October 2002;
  
• he was Leader of the House of Commons for just three months after the resignation of Robin Cook;
  
• Secretary of State for Health in June 2003;
• after the 2005 General Election he became Secretary of State for Defence;
  
• and Home Secretary from 5 May 2006.
  

Rather bizarrely, to add to the mix, his own parliamentary seat also has twice been abolished in boundary changes.

So eager to keep moving ever onwards, no wonder that he now wants to split up his current job.  At least then he will be able to have his customary change of job title for which he is now overdue.  

Opinion is divided about what this will achieve (The Telegraph and Marcel Berlins in The Guardian highly sceptical, The Times cautiously supportive and no comment in The Independent.)

However, even his harshest critics could not say that Dr Ried doesn't at least have experience of a wide number of Government departments from which to draw comparrisons.