RISING Labour star Hilary Armstrong spoke last night of her joy at being catapulted into Tony Blair's new Cabinet.

The North-West Durham MP is the surprise card in Tony Blair's reshuffle after being awarded the post of Chief Whip, responsible for maintaining party discipline and smooth running of parliamentary business.

After rising through the ranks since becoming an MP in 1983, the former Local Government Minister said she was approaching the new role with "considerable" trepidation, but she was confident that she would make a mark. She said: "It's a huge challenge, but one I'll relish."

Her appointment adds to the already large number of North-East MPs in the cabinet, which she feels is good news for the region.

The politician, who when talking about the chaos of the House of Commons in a 1992 interview said a "woman could really sort the place out", also feels it is good news for women.

"Coming from the North-East is what gives me my inspiration, and we want to make sure folk in the region get exactly the same opportunities as everyone else in the country.

"I think it's also good there's more women in the Cabinet. Women are half the population, so if you want a democracy that represents the people and looks like the rest of the world, then women have got to be in government."

The role of disciplinarian is guaranteed to bring media attention and possible behind-the-scenes clashes with any MPs unwilling to toe the party line.

Her father, Ernest Armstrong, was Chief Whip during the Wilson government in the 1960s.