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Still going

Gordon Brown's office behind the Speaker's chair is a hive of activity. Ministers are being summoned in, terminated and then sent out again, clutching resignation letters. Richard Caborn, the sports minister and friend of John Prescott, is one such victim.

He will be going late into the night with this. Indeed, someone carrying six Tesco bags has just one in, and Ian Austin, Mr Brown's former spin doctor turned Parliamentary aide, can be seen through the windows drinking Champagne at a mini party in one of Mr Brown's outer Parliamentary offices.

No doubt he will continue long into the night. But they are keen to keep the information from the media so that it can all be presented in one magnificent flourish at midday tomorrow. The Brown era has begun.

The shape of the government

We don't know and they wont confirm.

But here are our best guesses. Alistair Darling for Chancellor. David Miliband for Foreign Secretary. Jack Straw for Justice. Geoff Hoon for chief whip. Harriet Harman for Leader of the Commons, as well as Party Chair. Alan Johnson or John Hutton for health. Training and higher education will become part of the DTI. Des Browne moves. Margaret Beckett leaves the Foreign Office but we do not know if she remains in government.

Outs

It's becoming clearer who is on the way out. Margaret Beckett has been bidding farewell to staff. Patricia Hewitt similarly. Brown will apparently wield his knife on others in his Commons office later tonight.

But as for who's coming into his first Cabinet; that's far more fluid. David Miliband has been mentioned in connection with most major jobs in the past hour. John Hutton, once earmarked for the axe, also appears likely to survive, maybe at health?

The first briefing

No Cabinet names - they are coming tomorrow around 12pm. No information about restructuring Whitehall. No big policy announcements. So what did we learn from Mr Ellam, who asked to be called in print the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman?

Firstly bringing outsiders into government is a Big Deal to them. These figures will be outside the Cabinet, and their names will emerge on Friday. "It is only when you see the names on Friday that you will understand what the Prime Minister meant by a government of all the talents."

Secondly, he was somewhat equivocal about Mr Blair's new role as Middle East Envoy. Asked what he thought about the appointment, he replied: "They are members of the Quartet" and gave no elaboration. Asked how Mr Brown felt went signing off the request from Mr Blair to resign, he replied: "businesslike".

Thirdly they could be in danger of heading into a spin row over an announcement .... over the end of spin. The spokesman said that his first act as Prime Minister was to revoke the orders which allow special advisers to direct civil servants - powers enjoyed by Jonathan Powell and Alastair Campbell. But it was quickly pointed out that none of the incoming team would have similar powers, so his first act was effectively meaningless.

On other matters, the Prime Minister will live above either Number 10 or Number 11, but has not decided which one. He will "probably" use Chequers occasionally, both with his family and for government.

Also, the Brown team have effectively set a deadline of 12 to complete the reshuffle. This could prove tricky if people try and argue with his plans....

The unreality

For the moment, we are in a largely fact free zone.

Michael Ellam, Gordon Brown's new official spokesman, will be briefing the press at 5pm, but who is up and who is down is purely specuative even though, we are told, most Ministers of State have a pretty good idea of their fate already.

Meanwhile, in slightly mad fashion, both houses of Parliament go on with their business. The Commons is discussing the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill, while the Lords is debating the Offender Management Bill.

Our democracy is safe.

Education department to split?

Apparently the Department for Education and Skills may be split in two. One half will deal with schools, while the other will oversee further education, including science. More breathless rumours - which will be hopefully quickly forgotten if wrong - imminently

Is the caravan holding up the traffic?

Is Margaret Beckett going to provide Gordon Brown with his first headache? Over the last few days, she has mounted a major offensive to try and hang on to her job at the Foreign Office. Working in her favour is the dearth of many women in the Cabinet, and the fact that foreign affairs will not be a Brown priority, so forcing her out risks political capital in an area he isn't focusing on.

But given Mr Brown's promise an hour ago to "change", it seems inconceivable that he could leave her in place. If she refuses another job, does he have the guts to sack her altogether?

The tectonic plates move .... then move back

Workmen have removed the sign on the front of the Department for Trade and Industry. They later put it back up, according to the Press Association.

More vintage Cherie.....

Cherie Blair stormed out of a dinner last night to confront an American film crew standing outside Downing Street. "Thanks for spoiling my dinner party and you're not even British," she told them, according to a photographer who overheard the exchange.

Gordon Brown's first words ... but Blair's still trying to upstage him

Gordon Brown's emotional entry into Downing Street suggests three things about his premiership.

1. There will certainly be people from outside Labour joining the government. Aside from Paddy, now Lord Ashdown, the former Lib Dem leader and Lord Stevens, the former Met Police commissioner, team Brown have clearly managed to keep some names quiet. These will emerge over the next 24 hours.

One side effect is to put Menzies Campbell in a worrying situation. The Liberal Democrat leader has said three times in the last week that there will definitely be no-one from his party in the new Brown government. But Mr Brown inists he will have a government of all the talents. If any Liberal Democrats defies Ming and joins team Brown, he will look weakened.

2. He has promised "change" in the NHS. This will be one of the greatest areas of greatest contrast with the Blair era.

3. Mr Brown is still uneasy in front of the cameras, although Mrs Brown comes across very well on television. Meanwhile Mr Blair still seems keen to upstage them, pictured going by train to Sedgefield followed by a phalanx of photographers. He was even carrying his own bags.