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

TOUGH AT THE TOP

IN: POLITICS
ALEX ALLAN, 56
JOINT INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE, CHAIRMAN
Newly appointed by Gordon Brown to become the Government's top intelligence adviser. He replaces Sir Richard Mottram. Refreshingly flamboyant (loves the Grateful Dead and once windsurfed to work at Westminster in a pin-striped suit) he was PPS when John Major was PM and Nigel Lawson was Chancellor.

OUT: SPORT
SIR CLIVE WOODWARD, 51
BRITISH OLYMPIC ASSOCIATION, CONSULTANT
The former England rugby coach now earns £300,000-a-year on the Olympic gravy train. Just unveiled his blueprint to create 20 more Team GB gold medallists at London Olympics but has no serious clout.

NEW ON THE LIST

RETAIL
PAUL KELLY, 55
SELFRIDGES, CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Responsible for delivering impeccable financial performance, transforming the reputation of one of London's grand retail institutions and launching the Wonder Room, one of the most talked about new concepts in retail this winter.

GOING PLACES

THEATRE
ANNE-MARIE DUFF, 37
ACTRESS
Born in Southall, she has worked with the National Theatre in Collected Stories, King Lear, War And Peace and La Grande Magia. She is nominated for best actress at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards for her role as the title character in Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan at the NT. She is married to actor James McAvoy.

SERIOUS WOBBLES

POLITICS
ALISTAIR DARLING, 53
CHANCELLOR
Had a Northern shocker but the loss of those discs has left confidence in the Treasury, and Darling, at a new low. We drop him from the Top Five Influentials in Politics and were it not for his job title he'd be off the list entirely. He no longer has the strength to drive radical decisions. Now 3/1 to be the first minister in Brown's cabinet to lose his job.

RETAIL
MIKE ASHLEY, 42
SPORTS DIRECT FOUNDER
Shares in Sports Direct, which relies heavily on sales of replica shirts, slumped 15 per cent after England's elimination from Euro 2008 His personal stake was worth £74 million less.

MEDIA MOVERS

EVAN DAVIS, 45
ECONOMICS EDITOR, BBC
The impish, rather hammy Davis is to become a full-time presenter of Today on Radio 4 as Carolyn Quinn leaves. He will step down as economics editor. Has a knack of making the complicated seem simple.

GROWING IMPACT

MUSIC
ADELE ADKINS, 19
SINGER/SONGWRITER
New streetwise, soulful south Londoner with a remarkable, smoky voice honed by listening to Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald. Jools Holland (see Social London) got her on to his show Later and XL boss Richard Russell (see Music) signed her up. Her debut album, 19, is out in January.