School reform doubt after reshuffle

Tory education spokesman Michael Gove claimed Adonis had been forced out by his boss, Schools Secretary Ed Balls, who Conservatives suspect of being lukewarm about academies.

But Lord Adonis himself insisted he was "delighted" by his move to the Department for Transport and said he had asked Mr Brown in the summer for a "new challenge".

Lord Adonis's move was one of the most surprising changes in the reshuffle of ministers below Cabinet rank announced on Sunday.

Contrary to expectations, prominent left-winger Jon Cruddas was not given a Government job, but will instead take on a new role leading Labour's campaign against the far-right British National Party.

Friends said that the Dagenham MP held "positive and constructive" talks with Mr Brown and a possible Government job was mentioned but both agreed he was best suited to the campaigning role.

In other moves, Phil Woolas took on the high-profile immigration portfolio and Vernon Coaker became police minister, while there were ministerial jobs for three MPs involved in the 2006 backbenchers' plot which forced Tony Blair to announce his plans to quit - Chris Bryant, Sion Simon and Kevan Jones.

Lord Adonis had been involved in the development of Labour's education policy as both adviser and minister since shortly after Mr Blair entered power in 1997 and was regarded as a powerful influence over such contentious policies as top-up fees, more parental power over schools, the reduction of the role of local education authorities and the creation of city academies.

Mr Brown's decision to keep him on as schools minister last year surprised some observers, who expected the change of power to spell the death knell for the Blairite educational reform project.

But Mr Brown and Mr Balls have taken the academies programme forward, with the new National Challenge scheme envisaging academy or trust status for many of the English secondaries currently falling short of performance targets.