Long hot summer for rebel

But if there is a hint of tardiness in Mr Kennedy's approach to appointments, the same appears to be true of the Government when it comes to appointments to select committees. One Labour insider revealed that the Government may wait until the return of Parliament after the summer recess - September - before deciding, in particular, which committee chairmen should remain in post.

Loyalist Barry Sheerman, chairman of the Education and Skills Select Committee in the last Parliament, may have less to fear about retaining his post than his fellow Labour MP and arch-rebel Ian Gibson, chairman of the Science and Technology Select Committee.