Gordon Brown’s lack of “big beasts” has never been more apparent. Even though senior Cabinet ministers have been “rallying behind Brown” after the attack of the ex-Home Secretaries, the only person who has made any real effect has been a non-Cabinet member – John Prescott.

In his typically blunt way, Prescott said:

Charles, if you are ashamed to stay in the party it’s obvious what you should do, isn’t it?

They are the same people who crawled out of the woodwork last September, told us they were finished, Gordon should go.

Clarke actually did apologise later and said he thought he’d got it wrong.

Now he’s back at it again. I just say to them, for God’s sake stop complaining and get campaigning.

The most any Cabinet member has been able to come out with is a few comments along the line of Brown is “the right person” for or is “getting on with” the job. Yawn.

Brown alienated himself from pretty much every big beat in the Labour jungle out of fear that they might take the crown he felt was his. Now he’s paying for it.