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Hain promoted in Brown's cabinet Hain promoted in Brown's cabinet
(31 minutes later)
Peter Hain has been given a promotion by Prime Minister Gordon Brown as he prepared to unveil a huge overhaul to his new cabinet. Peter Hain has been given a promotion by Prime Minister Gordon Brown who has unveiled a huge overhaul to his new cabinet.
It has been confirmed that Neath MP Peter Hain Peter Hain will be work and pensions secretary. Downing Street has been confirmed that Neath MP Mr Hain will become work and pensions secretary.
He will also retain his position as Welsh secretary. He will also continue in his position as Welsh secretary.
Mr Hain, who was defeated last weekend in his bid to become deputy Labour leader, moves from the job as Northern Ireland. Mr Hain, who was came fifth last weekend in the deputy Labour leadership contest, moves from the job as Northern Ireland secretary.
He replaces John Hutton, who will remain in the cabinet.
There had been speculation that Mr Hain could take over from Hilary Benn as international development secretary but that post has gone to Douglas Alexander, former transport and Scottish secretary.
The Department for Work and Pensions is one of the top-spending departments in Whitehall.
The department - once known as the department for social security - is responsible for all sorts of benefits, from allowances paid to carers to child support, incapacity benefit and, of course, pensions.
Welfare reform was one of the big issues Tony Blair highlighted on coming to power 10 years ago.
His first welfare reform minister was told to "think the unthinkable" - and sacked a year later.
Rich and poor
Among the challenges facing Mr Hain will be the government's drive to reduce the number of people on incapacity benefit - a problem common in former industrial areas of Wales.
He will also come under fresh pressure to improve financial assistance to the former workers at ASW in Cardiff and elsewhere who lost their pensions when their company went bust.
But one of the department's aims is to reduce poverty. Mr Hain has regularly called for the gap between rich and poor to be narrowed.
The MP is said to be both delighted and surprised by his promotion - after a week in which his Northern Ireland job was offered to Paddy Ashdown and The Sun predicted he would be sacked.