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Former Foreign Minister Jack Straw said on Sunday he would run the leadership campaign of Chancellor Gordon Brown to replace Prime Minister Tony Blair when he steps down later this year.

AFAIK the only likely successful opponents so far seem to be Alan Milburn or Charles Clarke whose website launch was described by the acute Jackie Ashley as "intellectually incoherent". Also there are the well known business tieups (for example Milburn is a director of Lloyd's pharmacy, relatively harmless so far) which could lead to the NHS being regarded as disrespectfully as the Manchester bus services, and leading to far more loss of life. Thanks to Ken Livingstone, London bus services are by and large excellent. But Manchester felt the full force of Toady's corruption and so far have appalling service, non English drivers who can't even read road signs, and appalling accidents. It seems the reasonable Milliband, reasonably, is not standing for leader.

IMO: Good for Jack Straw, as far as I am aware Gordon Brown is the best candidate so far, though certainly far from perfect. Also, Jack Straw replies to my emails.