Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader, has announced a reshuffle of his front-bench team designed to put the party in shape for a General Election by following through his private thoughts about his colleagues overheard by a journalist two months ago.

By removing the justice brief from his leadership rival Chris Huhne, Mr Clegg appears to have made good on an eavesdropped conversation overheard by a reporter aboard a London to Inverness flight last November.

At the time, Inverness MP Danny Alexander, the leader's chief of staff, was reported to have urged Mr Clegg to "be firm" when he discussed the idea of demoting Mr Huhne from his home affairs brief.

Sure enough Mr Huhne, who stood against Mr Clegg for the leadership, lost his justice brief yesterday to David Howarth MP in what was interpreted as a demotion. However, the party was quick to point out that Mr Huhne's oversight of the justice brief had always been a temporary arrangement.

A party spokesman said: "Chris Huhne asked Nick Clegg to formalise David Howarth's position as shadow justice secretary.

"David has been doing this job in the home affairs team very effectively and Chris's oversight of the justice port-folio was only ever a temporary arrangement."

Mr Clegg also demoted the key left-winger Steve Webb from his environment brief by moving him from shadowing climate change and energy to the lesser role of monitoring the department of work and pensions.

Aboard the Inverness flight Mr Clegg had reportedly identified the Northavon MP as a voice of the left. "Webb must go," Mr Clegg was reported as telling his chief of staff: "He's a problem. I can't stand the man. We need a new spokesman."

Simon Hughes, the party's former president, replaces Mr Webb. He is also from the left of the party but is seen as a hard-hitting campaigner.

David Heath, who quit the front bench last March over his refusal to obey the leadership in a House of Commons vote on a referendum on the EU Treaty, will take on Commons Leader Harriet Harman, in the role vacated by Mr Hughes.

Lord (Jim) Wallace of Tankerness, former deputy first minister of Scotland, has been appointed to advise on meetings between the party and senior civil servants.

Announcing the changes, Mr Clegg said the party would be "well-placed" to take the fight to Labour and the Tories and "bring about the change that Britain needs".

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