FIVE fantastic years, the beginning and the end each a surprise.

Cedar Street, Blackburn, Election Day 2001 and I was hollering down the microphone. The phone rings and it's John Prescott.

We discuss an "orderly transition" for the next day; assuming we win the election, and the Prime Minister did what John and I expected that I would move into his job running the then Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions.

On the next day, after my count in King George's Hall, I was back in London.

On the way I thought I had better read up on the environment, transport and regions sections of our manifesto.

I needn't have bothered. I went in to the Prime Minister in his study. "I'm not giving you John Prescott's job", he said. "I'm making you Foreign Secretary instead".

I was astonished. There had been a little speculation in the press, but I had dismissed it, not least because the then Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, a close friend of mine, was doing a very good job, and I did not covet his position.

The Prime Minister has often teased me about my surprise, but I was and am deeply grateful for the privilege of being able to do one of the very best jobs in the British Government, both living history and trying to mould its outcome.

Roll forward five years, to last Thursday. It's Election Day again.

I'm again on the loudspeakers and it's 7pm the phone rings.

Would I go to see the Prime Minister at 8.15 the following morning?

Although it entailed a late-night drive after the count at King George's Hall it's not an invitation I, or any Minister, could refuse.

And I guessed it meant a move.

This time last year, when the Prime Minister had reappointed me as Foreign Secretary, after the 2005 General Election, we had discussed and agreed that at some stage during this Parliament I would move on to become Leader of the House of Commons.

So the fact of the move was not so much a surprise; the timing was.

But whenever it had come I would have had mixed feelings.

The last five years have been the most turbulent in international relations in 60 years: September 11 2001, two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the running sore of the Israeli/Palestine conflict; violence, corruption and poverty which has gripped too much of Africa, and the rise of India and China to become emerging world super powers.

High spots? The Condoleezza Rice visit to Blackburn, mine to Alabama, and the start of EU negotiations with Turkey.

Low spot? November 2003 also Turkey the terrorist outrage which killed 10 staff of the British Consul General in Istanbul.

I'm sad to leave all this, but I'm also relieved too.