THE long-term Cabinet future of Jack Straw was being questioned at Westminster today as MPs prepared for an early government reshuffle.

The shock resignation last night of Work and Pensions Secretary Andrew Smith means that Tony Blair will have to reshape his top team earlier than expected.

And it indicated a new outbreak of hostilities between the Prime Minister and his colleague and rival Chancellor Gordon Brown.

Friends of the Chancellor fear that the departure of Mr Smith, a Cabinet ally of Mr Brown, after a whispering campaign against him signals a new effort to remove Gordon Brown's supporters from senior positions.

Mr Blair is expected to bring former Health Secretary Alan Milburn back in the Cabinet as Labour Party Chairman, giving him Mr Brown's traditional job of preparing the next election manifesto.

This would mean sidelining current party chairman Ian McCartney, another ally of Mr Brown.

The Whitehall whispering campaign against Foreign Secretary and Blackburn MP Mr Straw does not suggest he will be forced out in this reshuffle but might be sacked in any further shake-up if Labour win the next general election expected in the spring.

The rumours allege that Mr Blair has become increasingly concerned at how close Mr Straw has become to the Chancellor.

But friends of Mr Straw dismissed the rumours as "rubbish" saying it was just spiteful Westminster gossip and that his relationship with Mr Blair was as strong as ever.