Control freaks are back at work

Gwyneth Dunwoody angered her bosses

		By Nick Assinder BBC News Online political correspondent

Tony Blair's reason for sacking Gwyneth Dunwoody and Donald Anderson from their powerful Commons select committee posts is that the government needs to bring in fresh faces.

It's a valid excuse, but virtually no one in Westminster believes it.

They all prefer to think this is just the latest and most blatant example yet of Tony Blair's control freakery.

Minister have regularly found themselves put on the spot by both MPs, who have shown an unfashionable tendency to exert their independence.

Tony Blair can do what he likes

They could be relied upon to ask difficult questions about issues like the arms-to-Africa affair and the chaos in the rail system.

Bad old ways

So suggestions that there were no ulterior motives in having them removed from their committees are being dismissed as disingenuous.

And there is a widespread view that, despite all the pre-election talk about listening to their MPs and the public, the new Blair government has returned to its old ways.

It is certainly the case that, with its massive parliamentary majority, the government can do pretty much whatever it likes.

The latest stunt is quite likely to cause a backbench revolt, and there are already moves afoot to reinstate the two MPs to their positions.

But it is also pretty likely that the government will get its way. There are just too many loyalists on the backbenches to let ministers get into serious trouble over such an issue.

Attempts to cut Incapacity Benefit have already led to the threat of a serious rebellion but, even on such a sensitive issue, there is no way the government will lose.

So any suggestion it can be overturned on something as arcane as the membership of select committees is unthinkable.

More respect

At least it should be. What some backbenchers hope, however, is that there is a new spirit of rebelliousness growing amongst Labour MPs who think they should be treated with more respect.

They don't like the idea that Blair and Co view them as nothing more than cannon fodder.

They are probably not brave enough to take on the prime minister over a big issue like incapacity benefit, but they may think they can put down a marker over a relatively trivial issue like select committee membership.

The row is also the first test for the new Commons leader, and former foreign secretary, Robin Cook.

While Tony Blair is daily accused of undermining the primacy of parliament, Mr Cook has been given the task of reasserting MPs' power.

If he wants to, he can create serious problems for the government. And this might just be the issue to do it.