TONY Blair last night brought Baroness Sally Morgan back to Downing Street only 24 hours after Anji Hunter, his trusted aide, left to join a multinational oil company.
Lady Morgan, 42, will become Mr Blair's new director of political and government relations. She had moved out of Downing Street soon after the general election after Mr Blair decided to retain Ms Hunter as a key aide.
However, although the prime minister highly valued Ms Hunter's advice and support, friends of Lady Morgan claimed last night that he had since realised he had made the wrong decision. One said: ''Clearly there was a black hole. He realised there was no politics''.
Lady Morgan, who was Mr Blair's political secretary until the 2001 general election, when she was made a cabinet office minister with responsibility for women's issues, will start work on Monday.
The prime minister's official spokesman said Mr Blair had ''enormous regard'' for Lady Morgan.
He added: ''She is an extremely talented individual, has excellent judgment, and is well-known as someone who has worked extremely closely with the prime minister in the past.''
Mr Blair and deputy prime minister John Prescott have agreed that Barbara Roche, cabinet office minister, will take over Lady Morgan's ministerial responsibilities for equal opportunities and also the women's unit.
Lady Morgan will continue to advise Mr Blair on equality issues, and will oversee contacts with other international leaders' political offices, links between the Labour Party and sister parties overseas, and relations with the devolved administrations.
She will also have responsibility for the prime minister's schedule, external events, and correspondence.
Mr Blair's spokesman refused to say how much Lady Morgan - who was paid (pounds) 68,283 as a minister - would be paid. Ms Hunter, hired by oil giant BP as director of communications, reportedly received a salary of (pounds) 120,000.
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