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Dark murmurings surround the recent mini-reshuffle by Tory leader Michael Howard, in which Chris Grayling was moved from the post of Shadow Higher Education Minister to the health team.

Why move a shadow minister just weeks before a general election? According to the positive spin, Mr Grayling's talents will bolster the attack on Labour's policies for the National Health Service, and Charles Hendry, the new Higher Education Minister, has already had much contact with students through his old job as the party's expert on young people.

But rumours suggest that a personality clash with Tim Collins, the Shadow Education Secretary, may have hastened the move.