The Influentials: Who's in and who's out?

The energy of London is nowhere more reflected than in the shifting balance of power among its thoughtmakers, trendsetters and leaders. Every week, Simon Davis looks at who's in and who's out

TOUGH AT THE TOP

IN: POLITICS VINCE CABLE, 64
LIBERAL DEMOCRAT ACTING LEADER
Brought the house down with his killer line about Gordon Brown's reputation going "from Stalin to Mr Bean". Says he won't stand for the party leadership but will he be persuaded to change his mind? Many hope so.

OUT: POLITICS
DOUGLAS ALEXANDER, 40
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT SECRETARY The fresh-faced minister has not impressed of late, and there are suggestions that as an election co-ordinator he knew more about the dodgy funding scandal than he is letting on. Insiders say his card is marked.

NEW ON THE LIST

FINANCE
JAYNE-ANNE GADHIA, 46
VIRGIN MONEY, CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Even if Richard Branson fails in his Northern Rock bid, Gadhia, chosen by him to run the stricken bank, has made her name. If he succeeds, she will run what remains a huge operation and become Britain's top female banker. A mother of one who is, by her own admission, intensely driven.

ON THE UP

POLITICS
JACK STRAW, 61
JUSTICE SECRETARY
He recently elbowed Baroness Hayman out of the central ceremonies on Queen's Speech day and then pinched Jacqui Smith's slot in the home affairs debate. At the same time, his work on party funding has rocketed in importance. With the PM looking wobbly, a handful of MPs are considering the possibility of a wise old hand taking over before the next election.

MOVER AND SHAKER

FILM
RAY WINSTONE, 50
ACTOR
The hugely popular London actor won the Richard Harris Award for achievement in British film at the British Independent Film Awards this week. He has made inroads in Hollywood but is now seriously being talked up in industry circles as the man to replace Bob Hoskins in all the "geezer" roles.

MAKING THE RIGHT NOISES

NEW MEDIA
ALEX GRAHAM, 54
WALL TO WALL, CHIEF EXECUTIVE
The boss of this small independent TV firm has just sold out to Shed Media, which made Footballers' Wives, for £25 million. His stock is on the up.

THEATRE
PATRICK STEWART, 67
ACTOR
His Macbeth is regarded as the greatest performance of his career and recently won him an Evening Standard theatre award. Since leaving Star Trek and Hollywood, he's become arguably our greatest Shakespearean actor.

GROWING IMPACT

FOOD
CLARE SMYTH, 29
CHEF
This secretive woman is impressing diners at Gordon Ramsay's three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Royal Hospital Road. She has worked with Heston Blumenthal at The Fat Duck and Alain Ducasse in Monaco and plans to open her own place.