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June 11, 2001

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Keith Vaz dropped from Blair Cabinet

Shyam Bhatia
India Abroad Correspondent in London

Keith Vaz, who was dropped from the Tony Blair Cabinet, was released from hospital early Monday.

Last month, doctors ordered him eight weeks' rest after he collapsed during a television interview in London.

On Sunday a spokesman for Leicester Royal Infirmary said: "Keith Vaz was admitted to the Leicester Royal Infirmary on Saturday afternoon with an infection for which he is now receiving treatment. His general condition is satisfactory."

Vaz, whose sacking was widely expected following his recent ill-health and persistent allegations about his financial conduct, is replaced by Peter Hain who was minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth office in the outgoing ministry.

Vaz's return to the backbenches was confirmed just hours after he was released from Leicester Royal Infirmary hospital where he had spent the weekend recovering from an infection.

Speculation that Vaz will lose his job has been fanned by reports in three national newspapers -- The Sunday Times, The Sunday Telegraph and The Observer -- that Blair no longer wants his services.

After last Friday's cabinet reshuffle in which Jack Straw was appointed foreign secretary in place of Robin Cook, the prime minister has spent the weekend at his Chequers Country Retreat considering a reshuffle of his junior and middle-ranking ministers.

The issue of what to do with Vaz had been high on his agenda following media reports of alleged irregularities and criticism of his failure to co-operate with an inquiry by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Elizabeth Filkin.

During the election campaign Blair said he had not fired Vaz because no allegation of any substance had been proved against him.

Additional reportage by PTI

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Special: The successful seven

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