Labour’s lady in waiting

Harriet Harman’s office reflects her status as the grande dame of British politics. Ensconced in a corner of Portcullis House, she enjoys two of the finest views in London, over both the Palace of Westminster itself and Parliament Square. As she ushers me in, the imposing effect is only spoiled by the fact that the windows are in dire need of cleaning.

As deputy leader, Harman is, officially, the second most important person in the Labour party after Ed Miliband. She has been an MP for 30 years and is married to a unionist-turned-parliamentarian, Jack Dromey. She knows the party like few others on the Labour front bench. Several of her colleagues, including Miliband, have worked as her advisers. Harman, though, is quick to stress that she doesn’t still think of herself as the boss’s boss. ‘I see Ed Miliband as leader of the party, I see Liz Kendall [another one of her former advisers] as doing social care.’