Guido is calling it for Johnson and and has backed him accordingly. He will, after the eliminations, win by a margin in excess of 5% according to number crunching from rival campaigns.

Looking over at LabourHome it is noticeable that the only online campaign adverts came from Alan Johnson – the tedious 8 part Benn video interview saga probably lost them votes.

Whereas the Tory leadership campaign “made” ConservativeHome, LabourHome didn’t really capitalise on the campaign.

Still a chance to get a 50% return on your money in four days if you are quick on Betfair…

Peter Wilby, the ex-editor of the New Statesman, writing in the Guardian on Monday, backed the Guido thesis, that the Westminster embedded Lobby is too cosy with its subjects. He wrote that “political correspondents tend to give politicians the benefit of the doubt… The lobby system makes the press a poor watchdog over government“.

Guido wonders what kind of coverage will be given to Levy’s expected trial by the likes of Anne McElvoy, Dominic Lawson, Matthew d’Ancona (Speccie editor), Will Lewis (Telegraph editor), Charles Moore, Nick Lloyd, Eve Pollard, Piers Morgan and errm, Sue Lawley. Lobby low-lifes were also at Levy’s leaving party in numbers.One wonders about the wisdom of frontline editors like Will Lewis and Matthew d’Ancona attending, could it lead them to compromise their coverage? Even encourage them, in the words of Peter Wilby, to give the Sleazemaster the benefit of the doubt?

Incidentally, Guido’s champagne-swilling co-conspirator spied Dominic Lawson deep in conversation with John Scarlett for much of the evening.

UPDATE : Just noticed that d’Ancona outed himself as an attendee on his blog this morning. He mentions the “oblique reference in His Lordship’s own speech to the great cloud of loans for honours and the files now with the CPS.”

The insouciance of Lord Levy knows no bounds. Last night at his £6,000 leaving party, he joked about honours peddling. He should have learnt his lesson from the last time he went to a fancy dress party in a gangster outfit as “Honours Levy”. The police arrested him the following week after reports in the press of his chutzpah.

In his speech he praised two former FCO Permanent Secretaries – John Kerr and Michael Jay – for their help. He cracked a gag congratulating them on their peerages, saying with a smile: “Nothing to do with me.”

Tony told the Lancaster House party goers “I would like to thank him for everything he has done for our country.” Guido suspects that the next place Tony speaks about Sleazy Levy in public will be at the Old Bailey.