Johnson is the man to beat

Having finally caught up with the Labour deputy leadership Question Time, I think that the bookies have it right: Alan Johnson must be the favourite. He was head and shoulders above the other candidates last night with the possible exception of Hazel Blears, though her 1st year Hermione Granger-style enthusiasm could grate with voters in a general election campaign.

Like Matt and Fraser, I’ve been quite impressed with Jon Cruddas but last night he came across as not quite ready for prime time. Hilary Benn would be a very safe choice but I can’t see him bringing any more votes into the Labour fold. Harriet Harman is a touch too prickly, note how riled she got when Dimleby asked her if she was Brown’s patsy. While Peter Hain is just too oily—it was very telling that when asked to name the greatest achievement of one of their opponents, not one contender praised Hain for his role in Northern Ireland.

Johnson will be a good match for Brown too; an English cheeky chappie to go alongside the serious Scot. Also, he has that great political skill of being able to put the boot in with a smile on his face. This means he could biff Cameron up a bit, and in quite personal terms, without alienating the voters.