Straw breaks his silence

Jack Straw has emerged from his self-imposed purdah to offer his support to Gordon Brown on The World at One. Straw declared “I’m absolutely convinced that Gordon Brown is the very best person to lead the Labour party and the government through these difficulties and beyond.” He went on to say that, “Nothing that has happened has changed my view that he is the best man for the job” (which makes me think that Straw holds his colleagues in rather low regard). Just in case he hadn’t sufficiently reassured the Brownites who have been so enraged by his silence, he concluded: “There is no contest, there will be no contest and neither should there be.”We have a powerful leader”.

Straw’s decision to put his head above the parapet to back Brown suggests that the moment of immediate danger for Brown has passed. Though, John Rentoul is right to note how neither