Has James Purnell just become a Labour hero?

James Purnell is highly rated by almost every Westminster Villager I chat to – indeed, Fraser’s even tipped him as a potential Labour leader.  But there’s always been a sense that the Old Labour wing of the party isn’t quite as impressed as everyone else.  I guess there’s something about his welfare agenda/media background/Blairite past that just doesn’t sit well with them.

But has the Work and Pensions Secretary overcome all that today?  Earlier, he was tasked with announcing that the Government would allow the Post Office to keep running the card account for distributing benefits, rather than handing it over to a private provider.  Jon Craig writes a lively account of Purnell’s statement over at Sky’s Bouton & Co. blog – the gist being that Labour MPs were whooping in delight as he referred to the “trusted brand” that is the Post Office, and claimed that the Government were “protecting vulnerable groups” by taking this decision.  A new Labour hero, rather than a New Labour hero?  Perhaps.

But whatever this decision means for the prospects of James Purnell, it’s quite useful for Brown too.  Rightly or wrongly, some groups are claiming that it’s “saved” around 3,000 Post Offices from closure.  Expect Team Brown to deploy that in the face of Cameron’s new job-saving theme.