TONY Blair’s radical cabinet reshuffle and constitutional overhaul has been attacked by a Tory front-bencher who accused him of causing “chaos and confusion”.

Beckenham MP Jacqui Lait, who is also shadow Scottish Secretary, has accused the Prime Minister of undermining 1,400 years of British history.

Her own position seemed to be in question after the changes were announced, because the post of Scottish Secretary appeared to have been abolished.

The ministry was absorbed by Lord Falconer’s new constitutional affairs department, which will take over the Welsh Office as well.

But a follow-up announcement appointed Transport Secretary Alistair Darling, who was already named as the Government’s commons Scotland spokesman, as Scottish Secretary.

Mrs Lait said: “Confusion and chaos is the best description of what these changes have inflicted upon us.

“Nobody has a clue what all this means, including the PM, and at first there was no Scottish Secretary, but now there is.” The MP added: “Iain Duncan Smith has said he will maintain my post because these changes are an insult to the people of England, Scotland and Wales.” The key constitutional change was the abolition of the post of Lord Chancellor and Lord Falconer’s department will take over responsibility for the legal system.

But Mrs Lait was scathing about the nature of the PM’s plans.

She said: “He has abolished this 1,400-year-old post without any consultation or thought for the consequences.

“The people of Beckenham and Britain will now have to pick up the pieces left by this ragbag of policies which smacks of panic.” The Prime Minister’s official spokesman defended the changes, which were announced on June 13, and said that they had been carefully planned.

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