Could the emerging opposition “attack dog” damage Brown?

Go into Google, type in “Chris Grayling MP”, click on the “news” search button and the above is what you get. A whole series of references to attacks that he has made on the government which might not be commanding the big headlines at the moment but, I am told, are starting to irritate the Labour hierarchy.

For the 46 year old Epsom MP and shadow work and pension secretary is fast developing a reputation for digging out the stories where the government is weak and then going for it. For if anybody on the Tory front bench is going to inflict damage then it will be Grayling.

Since John Reid stepped down from a front bench role with Labour Grayling is emerging as the leading attack dog in British politics. He might not yet have much of a public presence yet but then neither do any figures on either front bench with the exception of the leaders.

His great strength is in digging out facts and statistics and then finding a way to present them so that they embarrass ministers. Just look at the Grayling-inspired stories in recent days on the Google clip. His style reminds me very much of Gordon Brown in the 1992-1997 parliament.

I still think that David Cameron will survive the current problems and come out of it stronger. But if he doesn’t then the person I believe Gordon would least like to be facing him at PMQs is Chris Grayling. As an opposition leader in a Labour fourth term Grayling would be highly effective.

His main draw-back is that like Hague and IDS he’s balding.

Mike Smithson