Cruddas for Deputy?

I must confess that when it became evident we were going to have a Leader/Deputy Leader election sometime in the next year, the name Jon Cruddas did not readily come to mind. Then it became obvious he was coming up on the rails in the betting stakes, moving from over 100/1 to single figures in just a few weeks. Well, Cruddas has now formally thrown his hat in the ring, launched his Deputy Leadership bid, opened a campaign website... and I have to say he don't look half bad. For instance, on his 'Changing the Party' page he writes...

"I want to re-engage with those progressives who currently limit their activism to single issue campaigns; trade unionists, community activists, anti poverty campaigners, charities and many more."

If Brown (always presuming he wins, of course) was seeking a deputy who would carry out Prescott's buffer role (buffer, I said, not buffoon) placating the trade unions and the soft left, that's just the sort of appeal you would make. At this stage the only other people to express an interest are Mrs Dromey and the Suntan Kid... and on that basis, Cruddas, my old son, you're a shoe in for the job. Having said that Alan Johnson has all but made his intentions obvious, (and my postman is a Shop Steward who tells me he actually went to Johnson's wedding - but I won't let that influence me) Straw must have opened the veil debate for some reason and Paddy Power are quoting 25/1 on Clare Short and David Blunkett... who must have about as much chance as Norman Tebbit!