Another fallen Blair minister to return

Former minister Beverley Hughes is set for a comeback to the Government just three months after resigning in a row about corrupt visa applications.

Insiders are tipping the Labour MP for a Minister of State position when Tony Blair holds a reshuffle later this month.

But Ms Hughes will not return to her old post as Immigration Minister. A senior Government figure said: "She won't be going back to the Home Office because she needs to find her confidence somewhere new. But she is highly rated by the Prime Minister and will get a job of a similar level.

"No blame has been attached to her for what happened in the immigration system. She was unlucky and did the decent thing." Ms Hughes resigned when a "smoking memo" revealed she had been warned by another minister about corrupt visa applications in Romania and Bulgaria.

Earlier she had denied any knowledge of the problem.

Colleagues accepted her explanation that she had simply forgotten reading the memo, and Home Secretary David Blunkett fought to prevent her resignation.

Ms Hughes was spotted entering Downing Street recently and was thought to have met Mr Blair to discuss her future. The Prime Minister has a track record of reappointing ministers who show loyalty by falling on their swords in times of crisis and behave themselves on the backbenches.

Others who have hit the comeback trail include Harriet Harman, who was sacked as Social Security Secretary but returned as Solicitor General, and Estelle Morris, who

quit as Education Secretary and is now Arts Minister.

The reshuffle will bring few new faces into the Cabinet but will involve some changing of seats. Geoff Hoon is rumoured to be leaving Defence, while Trade Secretary Patricia Hewitt is tipped to replace him.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has fought to save Labour chairman Ian McCartney, following claims he faces the sack because of the party's poor performance in

the local and European elections. But Chief Whip Hilary Armstrong has fallen out of favour for failing to control a series of backbench rebellions.

Among rising stars, Alan Johnson, the Higher Education Minister who pushed through top-up fees against a major revolt, is favoured for Cabinet promotion.

Mr Blair may bring forward the reshuffle to 16 July, the day after the by-elections in Leicester and Birmingham, to avoid a week of morale-sapping speculation after the results.

Shadow home secretary David Davis said he did not oppose Ms Hughes returning to Government but urged: "This was never about personalities, it was about the importance of getting a proper immigration policy and treating the Commons with proper respect. If this indicates that the Government has learned its lesson, I welcome it. Regrettably, I doubt this is so."