If not Gordon, who?

The plot against Brown is rumbling on, every few hours another MP is publicly joining the call for a leadership vote. It seems that the idea of a crowning a new leader has been abandoned and that there will be a contest if Gordon goes.

Given the electoral college that Labour uses in its leadership contests, Alan Johnson would probably be the best placed candidate if he did run. He has appeal among MPs, party members and the trade unions and as a fairly non-ideological politician he would be acceptable to all the wings of the party. He is also seen as someone who ‘connects’ with the public and his biography is a plus.

The biggest question mark against him is whether he wants it or not. Some say that his confidence has been badly shaken by his loss to Harriet Harman in the deputy leadership contest last year, others that he really means it when he says that he doesn’t think he would be up