let's be honest, he's better outside the government and setting the Labour agenda than being part of Brown's 'big tentism'.Delighted at the news...

To be honest, i heard that he wasn't offered a serious job - just something in the party reporting to harriet harman. I think that if he'd been offered something proper then he should have taken it.

I wondered what happened to him. I thought perhaps he had been abducted by aliens. It was nice that he mistook me for Bob Piper and thanked me for the support in his campaign. I wasn't really for or against any of them. Whatever are we going to do now with the saying "May the best man win", when the worst woman since Thatcher comes up from 5th place to win?

Well let's just hope that his holier than thou attitude didn't result in the ministerial job he was offered being accepted by that well known Labour hater Sir Digby bloody Jones!!!

Jailhouselawyer is less that complimentary in suggesting that Harman came from nowhere to win.

There is literally an army of voters (who bothered to take part) who absolutely wanted harriet to come 5th or 6th.

This is why she won. fair and square.

Harriet now joins the growing ranks of political promotions that nobody wanted, using a system that nobody cares about.

Gary

Beats me what is holier than thou about saying you weren't standing for deputy leader in order to secure a promotion but because you wanted to give that job your full attention.... and then saying you are not seeking promotion.

Strikes me that it is more holier than thou to fail to accept someone might just be telling the truth.

Dear Bob

Have you seen this:

http://www.labour.org.uk/increased_role_for_mps_in_party

I've commented on the Labour Party site, blogged and commented on LabourHome.

For all the blather about the return of constitutional government, and restoring trust in politics, didn't it occur to GB that a good place to start would be his own political party?

This is all very unfortunate and wholly unnecessary. I spent a not insignificant amount of time addressing the 'GB to curb power of unions' allegations as reported by the BBC on Monday. There is a fair account in this week's Tribune here:

http://www.tribunemagazine.co.uk/Templates/news2.html

I'm not sure I should have bothered.

Bob,

John had an excellent campaign and I thought he clearly demonstrated he has a lot to offer - particularly on housing.

If he had won then he was correct to say that the leader of the party is a full time job, alas he didn't so I don't think it a conflict to move up - he would be an excellent housing minister.

Any idea what he was offered?