SOUTHAMPTON Test MP Alan Whitehead has lost his junior ministerial post at the Department of Transport following Tony Blair's government re-shuffle.
Dr Whitehead was given the job soon after Labour's second landslide victory in last year's general election.
He was a close colleague of Transport Secretary Stephen Byers, who resigned from the Cabinet following months of political pressure.
Dr Whitehead is a former leader of Southampton City Council and held on to his constituency with a reduced majority during the election in 2001. He was elected to the constituency in 1997 at his fourth attempt, when he romped home with a majority of 13,684. At the last election, his total vote drop-ped from 28,396 votes to 21,824.
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