A new front-runner

Austin Barry

Where is the diminutive, bright and beady-eyed budgie, Hazel Blears - the peoples' sweetheart, and Barbara Castle-
manqué. Other than as an unfortunate consequence of a frontal lobotomy, little Hazel is the only reason I would Labour. I see her now, hands on hips, proudly striding along Downing Street and singing, yes, singing at the top of her Gracie Fields voice "There'll always be an England, where there are cohesive communities.....". Magical.

mitch

I would argue about the word "succeed" when in the same sentence as "gordon brown" or "labour" and "Harriet Harman".Surely it should be failure/fail.

Verity

Good. Right up there with Gordon Brown as a voter turn-off.

Liz Brown

Help...............

DM

Indeed why is Hazel not listed? After all, Fraser was urging her to stand last night on QT and she looked mighty tempted. In fact, I didn't think 'our Hazel' defended the Great Leader wholeheartedly. (Who can blame her?)

dalesman

How the hell does Cruddas feature so high on the list and the ginger chipmunk doesn't feature at all?

Hazel was pretty good on Question time, better than most ministers when they appear.

Fabio P.Barbieri

Harriet Harman? They must really hunger for a long period in opposition. If they want a female leader, they should go for Caroline Flynt. She's cool-headed, attractive, Labour to the bone, and as close to a young Margaret Thatcher as the left has.

mac

Ladbrokes' odds confirm that Labour (particularly the unions, whose preferences are evident from these odds) is determined to cook it's own goose. Good, as Verity succinctly says.

Liz Brown

Caroline Flint? - that sactimonous more pious than thou a bossy attitiude - completely without a sense of humour - no thanks. Fabio, I think you should lie down in a darkened room

Austin Barry

Caroline Flint attractive? Well, perhaps, but her features suggest that she is the love child of Terry-Thomas and Jimmy Tarbuck.

Dalesman

No, No!! Not Caroline!

She is the most horrible woman, just talks down to everyone. Sanctimonious is right Liz.

emil

I thought they'd stopped banded racing.

**for non-horse race fans these were bookies fodder races for animals just good enough to avoid the dinner tables in Ostend.

TrevorsDen

if thats the case, what this means is that Brown is safe.

On the other hand ... the demise of Miliband really ought to put some lead in Straws pencil.

The whole question resolves around just how bad our own financial position
gets. Can Brown get away without increasing taxes and cutting spending?

I cannot help feeling that the circumstances of Brown going would likely favour an 'elder statesman' compromise. Ignore the betting - what do markets know !

Faceless Bureaucrat

Harperson will stumble and fall.

She lacks the gravitas and powerbase.

Alex

Make it BALLS! Pleeeeeaaase!