After Johnson

A few quick-fire reflections on the implications of Alan Johnson's departure as Shadow Chancellor...

1) Blairism is dead. Again. For now. And not within the coalition government, unfortunately. But worth a hearty cheer, all the same.

2) Labour's top team has lost its best communicator, and now looks a little less likeable and 'normal' in general.

3) Our assumption that the departure of Brown and Darling would mean that the Labour leadership looks much less Scottish than for decades isn't quite as true as we thought it would be.

4) On the other hand, Douglas Alexander now sticks out like a sore thumb as the most over-promoted shadow minister since...well, the Gold Standard that was David Mundell.

5) Cancel point 4. I was forgetting Liam Byrne.