The man who crowned Gordon

In politics, as in life, destiny is a capricious business. Andrew Mackinlay, the Labour MP for Thurrock, must have assumed that it was his bleak fate to be remembered as the politician who hectored the wan Dr David Kelly and called him “chaff” at a Commons select committee meeting in 2003. This evening, however, history has revealed a quite different role for Mr Mackinlay who became the 308th MP to back Gordon Brown, prompting John McDonnell, the last remaining alternative candidate, to throw the towel in. It is certain that Mr Brown will now be Labour leader and Prime Minister – the first PM since Eden in 1955 to have reached Number Ten unchallenged and the first leader of his party since Lansbury in 1932 to have got the job without a contest. The 13-year wait – all the plotting, bitterness, campaigning and rivalry – is finally over. Gordon will, at last, get his turn at the helm.