Sheerman the stalking horse

Lobbydog has heard that arch-Brown critic Barry Sheerman is thinking about putting himself up as a stalking horse in a Labour leadership battle.

There’s no doubt that the Sir Thomas Legg affair has left some people in the party very angry at Gordon Brown at the moment.

The plotters who tried to oust him earlier in the year may feel that they’d have a better chance now.

In the summer many MPs were scared of toppling Brown because it would have meant an immediate election and imminent defeat to the Tories.

But now an election is just around the corner anyway – maybe another leader could save a few marginal seats for Labour, they say.

Sheerman has at least confirmed that he is thinking of standing against Tony Lloyd to be chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party later this month.

But the Huddersfield MP has denied this is part of a move to topple the PM.