A Cabinet reshuffle will test the extent of the rapprochement between Blair and Brown, as well as the degree to which the prime minister has lost his will to impose his reformist vision upon the government. The evidence of both those factors will be in how many of those close to Brown gain promotion.
A potential source of tension between Blair and Brown will be on paying for the social justice program. Blair signalled during the election that he regarded the sharp increase in public spending as a one-off.
The question is whether Brown will attempt to edge up public spending to pay for improvements in health and meet the target of halving child poverty by 2010.
Issues requiring prompt attention include identity cards, implementation of a smoking ban in public places and the introduction of a points system on asylum.
Labour was able to avoid many contentious issues during the campaign by pointing out that reviews were under way. One of these -- on council tax -- is due for publication in December. Another, on pensions, chaired by Adair Turner, is scheduled for autumn next year.
On the latter, the government will face awkward choices: raise the pension age, increase national insurance (though Blair promised not to) or introduce compulsory savings. But the government might opt to push a decision back. Ed Balls, one of Brown's closest confidants, said any change to pensions would not come in for "many, many years."
Another issue ducked during the campaign was that of investment in a new generation of nuclear reactors to replace Britain's ageing stock. A white paper on nuclear energy is scheduled for publication during the third term.
On the foreign policy front, apart from contributing to the effort to secure stability in Iraq and an orderly withdrawal of British troops, the two key dates in the calendar are the G8 at Gleneagles, Scotland, in July, with Britain holding the presidency, and Britain taking over the presidency of the European Union, also in July.
Blair and Brown have put alleviation of African poverty and climate change top of the G8 agenda. Britain already has the support of other Europeans and Canada for its debt relief proposals but the US is sceptical, claiming it does not want a system that will reward corrupt leaders.
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