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The rumour mill has been set a-whirling that Folkestone and Hythe MP Michael Howard could be in line for a Cabinet post if the tories win the next election after this posting on the Independent Minds weblog by Andrew Grice.

He writes: "Wicked whispers reach me that there could be a surprise inclusion in David Cameron's first Cabinet if he wins the general election. Step forward Michael Howard, the former Tory leader, who employed Cameron as his political adviser when he was Home Secretary.

"Howard is standing down as MP for Folkestone and Hythe at the election but could be made a peer and parachuted into the Cabinet.

"Such speculation is doing the rounds in Tory circles, after Howard's high media profile in recent weeks.

"Michael looks like a man who is back in the game. If Ken Clarke can come back, why not Michael Howard?" says my Tory mole. When Howard backed Clarke's return to the Shadow Cabinet before Cameron had announced his reshuffle, it was assumed in Toryland that he was acting as an outrider for Cameron.

"Intriguing. Perhaps someone should tell Ann Widdecombe, who memorably said Howard had "something of the night" about him."