Milburn V Brown?

Yesterday, three different people told me that Alan Milburn, MP for Darlington and Pepsico, would be challenging Gordon Brown for the Labour leadership after the expected meltdown in Crewe and Nantwich. Now, what came first, the rumours in Darlington or the rumour on Political Betting? Maybe there'll be something in this morning's papers.

Co-incidentally, AM has launched a new website, showing him in fine thrusting form, hand in pockets, hips lunging forward like some ghastly re-incarnation of Alan B'stard.

Note to Alan, next time you speak to whichever of your assistants writes this thing, make sure she finds out the names of the people you've spoken to before she presses the "post" button. Go here and click on the Google pointer hanging over the Football Club. You'll find that Alan paid an interesting visit there to make his 2007 Christmas card (bit late Alan, or do you visit the town so irregularly that a year old visit counts as news?). During his visit he met local kids and XXXXXX. I'm sure XXXXXX will be very impressed.

Addition, Saturday 24th: AM's assistant has now remembered that it was Dave Penney, Darlington's manager, that he met at the stadium. Well done, dear.