Editing Robin Cook (section)

===Leader of the House of Commons===

Following the [[2001 United Kingdom general election|2001 general election]] he was moved, against his wishes, from the Foreign Office to be [[Leader of the House of Commons]]. This was widely seen as a demotion{{snd}}although it is a Cabinet post, it is substantially less prestigious than the Foreign Office{{snd}}and Cook nearly turned it down.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=2001-06-10 |title=Cabinet reshuffling pored over |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1380905.stm |access-date=2024-11-17 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> In the end he accepted, and looking on the bright side welcomed the chance to spend more time on his favourite stage. According to ''[[The Observer]]'', it was Blair's fears over political battles within the Cabinet over Europe, and especially the [[Euro]], which saw him demote the pro-European Cook.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite news|title=The sacrifice: why Robin Cook was fired|date=10 June 2001|access-date=24 June 2009|url=http://observer.guardian.co.uk/2001review/story/0,1590,617634,00.html|work=[[The Observer]]|location=London|first=Kamal|last=Ahmed|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070316050002/http://observer.guardian.co.uk/2001review/story/0,1590,617634,00.html|archive-date=16 March 2007|url-status=live}}</ref>

As Leader of the House, he was responsible for reforming the hours and practices of the Commons and for leading the debate on [[reform of the House of Lords]]. He also spoke for the Government during the controversy surrounding the membership of Commons Select Committees which arose in 2001, where Government whips were accused of pushing aside the outspoken committee chairs [[Gwyneth Dunwoody]] and [[Donald Anderson, Baron Anderson of Swansea|Donald Anderson]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/1435189.stm|title=Cook defends committee sackings|work=[[BBC News]]|date=12 July 2001|access-date=13 June 2014|archive-date=13 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140613194833/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/1435189.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> He was President of the [[Party of European Socialists]] from May 2001 to April 2004.

In early 2003, during a television appearance on [[BBC]]'s debating series ''[[Question Time (TV programme)|Question Time]]'', he was inadvertently referred to as "Robin Cock" by [[David Dimbleby]]. Cook responded with good humour with "Yes, David Bumblebee", and Dimbleby apologised twice on air for his slip.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/3623988/Just-answer-the-question.html|title=Just answer the question|first=David|last=Dimbleby|date=14 September 2004|access-date=31 May 2018|work=The Daily Telegraph|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180304173008/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/3623988/Just-answer-the-question.html|archive-date=4 March 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> The episode also saw Cook in the uncomfortable position of defending the Government's stance over the impending invasion of Iraq, weeks before his resignation over the issue.

He documented his time as [[Leader of the House of Commons]] in a widely acclaimed memoir ''The Point of Departure'', which discussed in diary form his efforts to reform the [[House of Lords]] and to persuade his ministerial colleagues, including [[Tony Blair]], to distance the Labour Government from the foreign policy of the [[Presidency of George W. Bush|Bush administration]]. The former political editor of ''[[Channel 4 News]]'', [[Elinor Goodman]] called the book 'the best insight yet into the workings of the Blair cabinet', the former editor of ''[[The Observer]]'', [[Will Hutton]], called it "the political book of the year{{snd}}a lucid and compelling insider's account of the two years that define the Blair Prime Ministership".