Despite being painfully follicularly challenged, Liam Byrne is a strong media performer and had a solid election campaign. Unlike Balls, for example, he was loyal to the leadership, but managed to keep some distance. Despite being seen as part of the Brown camp, he was conspicuously absent from the last hurrah photos The Guardian took on Tuesday night.

Byrne signals no desire to run, but we’ve all heard that before. He’s very much a long odds outsider in the betting, however his article this morning certainly reads like pitch. It reflects heavily what went wrong, yet ends with an optimistic view on how the Labour Party could rebuild under a strong, new style of leadership:

“The new leader’s second test is not policy – it is organisation. In Birmingham we did well fending off a Tory attack. Gisela Stuart’s extraordinary triumph in Edgbaston will be one of the great memories of election night. In my own seat we managed to put up the Labour majority.

This country is immeasurably fairer and stronger for Gordon Brown’s extraordinary political life. Our tribute must be to learn lessons fast, and get back out there and win again.”

The whole thing is littered with references to his own successes and new ideas…