“Were you one of the first or did you wait till the outcome was clear?”

Spare a thought a thought this morning for Labour MPs as they agonise over what to do. Do they join the still handful of their colleagues who have taken massive risks with their careers to become part of the initial batch or do they wait and see?

It’s a very hard call because like all rebellions there will come a moment when the outcome is clear. Brown will go or have to face up to a party election or it will all fizzle out. At the moment it is hard to say.

But one thing’s for sure. The actions of every single member of the parliamentary party will be noted and remembered and the critical element if Brown is forced will be the point at which they decided to join or not.

This is like the Iraq war votes in 2003 – a career defining decision.

I cannot still read it. The moment a “big beast” is prepared to put his/her head above the parapet will be what swings it one way or the other. If that doesn’t happen then those who’ve come out so far are going to have a pretty torrid time.

Maybe they’ll be a chapter devoted to them when a book on “Courage” by a well-known Labour figure is revised? That author might soon have time on his hands!

Mike Smithson