Fraser Nelson Fraser Nelson

And so it begins

Oh, joy. It has all started. I’m in the BBC News studios, reviewing tomorrow’s papers – and there is plenty to savour. The Indy says Purnell has cut a deal with David Miliband not to stand. The FT has Jack Straw who is shocked – shocked – to find talk of mutiny. It emerges that “several Cabinet members and senior MPs privately urged Mr Straw to lead a coup against Brown in the autumn” but his “allies” say he loyally told them to “calm down”. The object of briefing this story, of course, is to get across the point that Straw is the man to whom people are looking. Take that, Milipede! First mover advantage to Jack the Lad.

The Times has a Com Res poll, giving the Tories a 22 per cent lead, and news that Brown has been given two months. Patrick Wintour, who has arguably the best Labour connections on Fleet Street, says “talks between Cabinet ministers took place on the phone yesterday”.

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