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— British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is finalizing changes to his Cabinet to recover from the scandal over lawmakers' excessive expense claims. These are the key lawmakers likely to be involved:
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_ALAN JOHNSON, 59, is a favorite to replace Brown, but will be rewarded for instead pledging loyalty to the leader. Johnson had a storied rise from poverty to politics: he was orphaned at 12 and worked for nearly 20 years as a postman, a history that appeals to Labour's traditional working class base. Currently the health secretary, Johnson has a relaxed and personable style and was untainted in the expenses scandal.
_SHAUN WOODWARD, 50, defected to Labour from the opposition Conservatives in 1999. An unlikely Labour lawmaker, he is married to a millionaire heiress, lives in a country mansion and is rumored to employ a butler. Made Northern Ireland secretary in 2007, Woodward is a close confidant of Brown and is likely to be promoted.
_ED BALLS, 42, is Brown's closest political ally and the current Children, Schools and Families Secretary. A Harvard graduate and former economics reporter, Balls served as a key adviser to Brown for almost 15 years. He long been excepted to be appointed Treasury chief and is likely to be a future Labour leadership candidate.
_JOHN DENHAM, 55, quit as a junior minister Tony Blair's government in protest at the Iraq war. He appointed to Brown's Cabinet as innovation, universities and skills secretary, and has been a staunch defender of the leader. A former aid agency worker and chemistry student, Denham is tipped for a high-profile new role.
_YVETTE COOPER, 40, is the first female chief secretary to the Treasury — the second highest ranking Treasury role — and loyal ally of Brown. Cooper worked for U.S. President Bill Clinton in 1992 as he sought the presidency, was an economics journalist and political aide before she joined Parliament in 1997. She is married to Ed Balls.
_ALAN SUGAR, 62, is a brash business tycoon and host of the British version of "The Apprentice" television show. Already an adviser to Brown, he's expected to be made a member of the House of Lords and be handed a roving role to promote entrepreneurship and help stimulate Britain's economy.
_ALISTAIR DARLING, 55, is the mild mannered Treasury chief who had been tipped to be fired amid anger at his expenses claims, but now appears likely to retain his post. The former lawyer was criticized for charging taxpayers for advice on how to complete his tax returns. But Darling has won praise over his honesty about the scale of the global economic crisis.
