| Clarke is fired in Cabinet purge
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4975938.stm Quote:
Charles Clarke has been sacked as home secretary in the biggest cabinet reshuffle of Tony Blair's career.
The prime minister is trying to regain momentum after one of the worst local election results in Labour's history.
Mr Clarke will be replaced by Defence Secretary John Reid. Margaret Beckett is the new foreign secretary, with Jack Straw becoming Commons leader.
John Prescott will stay as deputy prime minister but lose his department. Trade Secretary Alan Johnson gets education.
Labour came third in the overall share of the vote in local elections in England, losing control of 18 local authorities. The Tories were the biggest winners, gaining 274 extra councillors and 40% of the vote.
The results prompted Mr Blair to push ahead with a reshuffle originally planned for Monday.
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Society may be formed so as to exist without crime, without poverty, […] no obstacle whatsoever intervenes at this moment except ignorance to prevent such a state of society.
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