The Mirror’s Political Editor job is prized for aspirational, resourceful and, most importantly, pro-Labour hacks. As revealed by Guido, John Stevens’ two-year stint has come to and end with his transfer into government – which leaves the title in need of a new scoop-getter. Runners and riders currently within the Mirror family are highlighted in red…

• Lizzy Buchan – Mirror Deputy Political Editor. The frontrunner to replace Stevens.
• Mikey Smith – former Whitehall Correspondent and current Sunday Deputy Political Editor at the Mirror. Respected – through gritted teeth among Tories – for his acerbic style. Labour should provide no end of material for his favourite transparency and sleaze scoops…
• Ben Glaze – former Deputy Political Editor for five and a half years under Pippa Crerar, currently consulting for advisory firm Sodali & Co. Will Glaze be in consideration for a return to the fold?
• Kevin Schofield – political editor at the financially struggling HuffPo. He worked for the Scottish sister paper the Daily Record, might he fancy a return to the Mirror group?
• Lewis Goodall: Has The News Agents presenter yet got tired of explaining actual reality to grandad Sopel and mad giddy-aunt Emily? The former BBC left-winger is a well-known broadcast face with a biting style. Could Lewis be tempted to jump the Global ship? Can the Mirror afford him?
• James Heale: This might seem a bit of a right-field idea, bear with Guido. Yes, he’s currently The Spectator’s political correspondent and diary editor, Heale is known to be angling for a political editor position. Equipped with a strong news sense and an eye for a scoop, he’d be making an ideological jump into the unknown. The Mirror is no stranger to a surprise choice…

While plans are being formed the current expectation among sources is that Lizzie will act as pol ed through conference season while a proper appointment process is set up and carried out. An internal hire is widely expected given the Mirror’s notoriously low pay…

Rishi Sunak’s £180 smart flask caught the ire of left-wingers looking for something to be angry about this week, not least the Mirror’s Mikey Smith whose unbridled fury at someone owning a flask resulted in 18 Tweets and two articles. Totally normal…

Another leftie who joined in was Beth Winter MP, who took to Twitter to boast that her mug was only £3, and perhaps Rishi’s expensive gadget is the reason he batted away her suggestion of a wealth tax this week. Contrary to the down-to-earth image Beth’s trying to portray, her register of interests shows that since the election she’s received nearly £4,000 from the University and College Union – for a mere 10 hour’s work. On top of her £80,000 MP wage…

At £400 per hour it would take less than a half-an-hour shift for bourgeois Beth to earn enough to buy a swanky Sunak flask all for herself…