I’ve just got back from an interview with James Purnell – his first since his decision to quit the Cabinet nearly toppled Gordon Brown.
No plot, he says, and no regrets. You’ll have to wait for tomorrow’s paper for all the revelations. Some things he will not discuss – he still describes himself as an ‘insider looking out’, rather than an ‘outsider looking in’ – but many things he will. As I leave the room he says: “I just want to stress that David Miliband and Andy Burnham have my full support.”
It was strange to see him today in Hyde Town Hall, a ‘mere’ constituency MP. He seemed physically reduced; and despite the smiles and protestations, there was an air of sadness and resignation as he discussed how he intended to prioritise the Mottram-Tintwistle bypass, etc. etc.
You might think James Purnell is too talented a politician to stay in the wilderness for long. But if we learn anything from the past week it is this: there are no guarantees in politics, and people don’t always get what other people think they deserve.

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