Kremlinology was fascinating, as the Red Army marched through Red Square on May Day you had to look up to the podium at the politburo to see who was standing where in order to guage their status in the power struggle that is inherent in an undemocratic party machine. The nearer to Brezhnev you stood, the higher your status.

Thus the shifts in New Labour’s politburo can be sensed, young Miliband (8/1 second favourite on Betfair) has paid tribute to Brown, Reid has bent the knee, Hewitt is more conciliatory, Milburn is in Siberia, Byers is an unperson. The Blairites are re-aligning themselves for fear of getting the bullet.

Brown will take over the party and the country without a vote cast, just like in the old politburo.