A contender?
Just how many times did John Reid say the word 'leadership' ? Again, and again, and again... 
Of course, not in the context of leading the Labour Party - perish the thought - but rather leadership for the country, against the threat of terror. But he knew exactly how we'd interpret it. (Watch the speech - and draw your own conclusions - here.)
Let's be clear - John Reid doesn't want to declare, because he doesn't have to make up his mind over whether to run yet. What he wants is for us to declare for him. The media say he's a candidate, he then looks at the reaction within the party and in the polls, he hopes and prays that Gordon continues to have slightly tricky poll ratings, and then, in a few months' time, when the PM's announcement finally comes, he makes his decision.
And whether he runs for the leadership or not, the process is a warning to Gordon Brown - a message to keep Reid as home secretary.
There's a community of people in the Labour Party who believe the chancellor is unelectable, but unstoppable. Now, they have to make their minds up. Can they, and are they willing to, turn Gordon Brown into somebody who is electable - or can they stop him? In John Reid, they've found someone who they think might be able to do just that.
I'm 
Comments
Isn't David Cameron the natural successor to Tony Blair rather than John Reid or Gordon Brown ?
If the Labour party genuinely think that putting John Reid up against Cameron instead of Brown gives them a better chance at the next election, they need to take more water with it. Or is it a case of those who are not in the Brown camp thinking that he'll pick his acolytes for all the major roles, and deciding their careers would look rosier under Reid?
Reid also has a problem - he's the 91Èȱ¬ Secretary. He's had a lucky ride so far, a foiled terrorist plot, no summer riots, no whistle blowers etc, but the chances of his name being linked to disaster or scandal (not necessarily of his making) over the next 6 months must be fairly short odds.
I was a little more interested in the other John who made an end of conference speech today. He apologised for his behaviour in the last year. Who is he trying to kid? His extra marital activities took place a long time before last years conference he was only apologising for getting caught! It does explain the reason for all the sycophantic applause by the hand picked audience for the entire diatribe that has been expelled these last few days. If the incumbent administration, and any of the others for that fact, wants to get elected they need to start treating the electorate as customers and not citizens or voters.
Go, John....
This is all quite exciting really. So maybe he's not as telegenic as David Cameron, but lets face it, neither is Gordon. What I like about Reid is that he seems to be a no-bull politician. I'm not so bothered whether he's touchy feely or not. The problem with Gordon is that he tried to be touchy feely and it just came across so badly and only served to remind me at least what an enigma he is. Plus, as i have already said in previous comments, Gordon has sunk hugely in my estimtions since the attempted coup.
Nick with a certainty I feel quite alarming, I can declare I find Mr Reid vacuous and dangerously easy to be controlled by media trainers. Mr Reid is not declaring rightly because he does not have to, and has actually has not been told to by whoever manipulates and controls him.
I find him to be lacklustre and very gullible. He is too easy to see through, he is not seasoned and this is the trouble with any other Labour contenders. Too blinking long in the vegetable patch of the Westminster Village and past their sell by date.
Sadly Gordy Brown is the rightful heir apparently. Sad for all of us that Blair kept things so close to his chest, his next in line are without sufficient grit and verve to make the grade.
Bad, very bad succession planning which is why the arrogant Blair may well hang on for much too long. If I were a dog, I'd be having my breakfast!
Nick,
I listened carefully to John Reid, and you have to listen carefully any loss of concentration and the man become unintelligable. One aspect of his speech in particular worries me greatly.
Mr Reid asserts that those persons alleged to be involved in terrorist activities should have no rights. I find this troubling. There is implicit in this an assumption that the state cannot be mistaken and that there are no instances of abuse of power. The trouble is that our legal history is riddled with cases that prove just the opposit is true. The state is fallable and our legal system, with its inbuilt presumption of innocence, protects us from that fallablity.
It seems incredible that this government is risking the lives of thousands of servicemen to protect our way of life, whilst at the same time advocating the destruction of the basic principle upon which our legal system is built. If our soldiers can risk so much for us surely we should be prepared to standup for ourselves and protect the very thing they are fighting for. I do not ever wish to see a UK version of Gitmo, John Reid/Labours vision puts us on that road.
I thought John Reid gave an excellent speech, and I must say it basks Tony Blair's in a new light that reveals its superficial nature. Where Tony Blair's speech was magnificently presented but said very little, John Reid's was like a sucker punch, it snuck up on you unexpectedly.
I was sad to see that those in the audience didn't seem to think too much of it; I didn't sense any gusto in the applause. Are they afraid of John Reid? It might be so, there is not much that one can say against him. Having taken over from Charles Clarke, no dirt from his new role seems to have rubbed off on him. The most imaginative criticism anyone could think up was that he came across as being patronising in his speech to the Muslim community in East London.
Standing next to a fool, the fool is so much more visible. This might be a curse for John Reid, there is nothing obviously wrong with him. The Labour party being as it is, can they afford to put someone forward who looks so out of place?
Come on Labour, if you have any sense of pride left hidden deep down somewhere, give John Reid his due, a fair contest. Don't sneak Gordon in the back door.
If Tony Blair resigns very quickly John Reid has a chance, but if he stays in the 91Èȱ¬ Office for much longer with its totalitarian dictatorship policies then there is no chance that he can win an election.
Would you vote for Blunket?
Having listened to the speech I think your right Nick. Its a shame about his misrepresenting Conservative policy when he was asking for national unity - shows he was doing nothing of the sort.
However, Brown must be worried.
John Reid is currently in a fairly paltry 9th place in the FaceRaces league table which is the fun (though almost entirely inaccurate) way to identify the next leader of the labour party.
If our results were anything to go by we should be looking to Diane Abbott or John Healey as much as Brown or Reid.
This led to a heated discussion with my Girlfriend and I last night. She lives in Hampshire, I live in West Lothian (Scotland) and she reacted quite badly to the thought of a Scottish Prime Minister. Well a Prime Minister with a Scottish Constituency.
I am English, but have been living in Scotland since I was 10 (Now 30) and I do not see what the issue is, but it became clear that a lot of people in the south think that Scottish MPs sit in Westminister and Holyrood.
So I think if Brown (or Reid) did get in this would generate a massive backlash at any election. However, I wonder how much of the national reporting still gives false impotus to the devolved parliments?
Of course it could be that Reid is actually doing a good job as 91Èȱ¬ Secretary.
Regardless of, in the past few months since his appointment, he's presented a more positive image of the labour party than Gordon Brown.
His rhetoric is positive and forcefull, something the party's going to need in the absence of Tony Blair.
If Brown is unelectable there isn't a adjective in existence to describe the undesirability of John Reid as PM.
I’m hesitant but persuaded John Reid has potential. What concerns me most is whether he gets the idea that better structure and harmony in society, character development, and a more engaged spirit is worth fighting for. I’m worried that if fear and greed are left unchecked, contrary and selfish people will tear apart and asset strip Britain.
I’d like to know what his ethos is, what the look and feel of his policies might be, and an idea about whether he has the character to match these ambitions. I’m not looking for the least worst candidate to be Prime Minister, I want the best of the very best, someone who is able to be as ruthless and compassionate as circumstance requires.
Prime Minister Blair is correct. Leadership counts. We all know the costs of ambition and pettiness. Riding on the theory that the organisation follows the character of the leader, I am hoping, any successor to Prime Minister Blair is a man, or woman, of calibre. I want someone I can believe in, and who believes in me – a genuine first among equals.
What a vulgar little man Reid is. I hope they elect him as the Leader of the Labour Party. This government has dumbed down everything else.
Good analysis Nick, thats exactly whats happening. John Reid is a strong contender. I was dissapointed in Alan Johnson's lukewarm speech. From the conference we can establish that the ABG candidate is Mr Reid
Brown's greatest achievement was giving the running of the economy over to the Bank of England. All he's really had to do for the last nine years is conjour stealth taxes.
Unfortunatly Browns problem is that outside of the Guardian readership no one really likes him or appears to trust him.
Tough luck really.
I hope the Labour leadership contest is decided by the same rules as the Lib Dem contest (first prize goes to the person with the fewest skeletons in their closet...)
I suppose the John reid camp will be evoking new legislation on age to ensure he gets a go at the PM job. He is not my cup of tea, he is an example of a man in the wrong place at the wrong time, with enough ego, and not enough sense.
If Reid thinks he has a chance to be taken seriously, and more importantly, wins the job then I'll eat humble pie from now till hell freezes over or the next election. No just till hell freezes over, I am that confident. No I am not, labour are so useless and full of vegetables these days they may do anything!
I take it all back.
John Reid would be an excellent new Tory Prime Minister for the labour party!
your technical difficulties mean my really excellent contributions got lost somewhere, do your website people also work for MI5 by any chance Nick?
It seems to me that losing Blair and Prescott and being given Brown and Reid in their place, makes me think politics in general is going to be a bit dull and boring from now on. They are hardly the kind of people to set a debate alight.
It's rather rich to hear John Reid talk about leadership and the need to be collegiate and supportive when this is the man who shafted his senior managers in the 91Èȱ¬ Office and slagged off his whole department after being in the post for about six weeks. Typical 'mad dog' management behaviour.
He might be successor to Tony Blair with attitudes like that but hardly a leader of the Labout Party.
Time to stop playing games Nick you do not believe Reid will ever be PM so why not just tell us he is the Cheriesponsored Anyone But Gordon Candidate
If Reid does win, then watch membership in the Party crash even further. We do need a contest rather than a coronation, but with some serious candidates. What happended to the dogs that didnt bark at this conference, messrs Milliband and Johnson? Both their speeches bombed. The education secretary is dithering, not a good sign; but boy wonder, David Milliband knows he has time on his side. He is the next Labour leader, but one.
Reid over Brown any Day. If not Reid, Cameron!
The problem for Labour if it elected John Reid as its new leader is that he was a member of the Communist Party at University in the 70s.
However long ago that was, it would be a fact on which the right wing press would seize to tear apart any chance he might have in securing a general election victory for Labour.
John Reid has no dramatic track record of success like Gordon Brown.
It's true that Gordon Brown lacks the type of charisma to win the hearts of TV viewers. He will struggle to seem likeable. He will struggle to get his message across.
However, he can point to his achievements: prosperity and low unemployment. Which is most of what people want.
John Reid's record pales in comparison. His other strengths aren't enough to compensate.
Please God, noooooooooooooo, not Reid!
He's far too aggressive and impatient and brusque to be a statesman. He'd have everyone at each other's throats. Which is not at all what we need at a time of heightened international tension.
Declare for someone who supports bringing in a public monitoring system that Himmler would have been in awe of? No way!
"What he wants is for us to declare for him. The media say he's a candidate, he then looks at the reaction within the party and in the polls"
So why play the game, even if everybody else does?
You are not 'the media', but you are employed in 'the media'
If you genuinely believe this is all manouvering on the part of John Reid, why not lambast him for using the 'terror threat' to further his own political ambitions?
Hardly a controversial conclusion and one which would at least represent some objectivity on your part.
The thought of John Reid as Prime Minister - heaven help us all! I have only had one personal encounter with him, on 18th March 2003 outside parliament, when he was wheeled out, following the debate in the house, to justify the decision to go to was with Iraq. I found him patronising (oh yes dear, when I was your age I was demonstrating against Vietnam.............I know young men fighting old men's wars..etc) bullying and unable to sustain an argument (he finally turned on his heel declaring - I said I would talk to you - not enter into a debate!). He likes to think he is tough and streetwise but his attitude, particularly to the Muslim community displays the limitations of such an approach. Alienating people John, as you clearly haven't worked out, is not exactly the way to get them to co-operate!
Can't Labour find an English MP to be leader - you know, somebody that can represent their constituency on little matters like education etc in parliament? What right does a Scot have to tell us how to run our education system when it doesn't apply in his constituency? How unbiased will a Scot be when the defence review decides that one of the three large naval bases must be closed? What view will a Scot take when siting nuclear power stations becomes an issue, or where to bury nuclear waste? Devolution has left a mess which will become very clear if we ever get a Scot in number 10.
Reid is a non-starter for Prime Minister. The country isn't going to vote for someone who wasn't even first choice for 91Èȱ¬ Secretary. Plus, as Robin Cook put it somewhat bluntly about himself, he doesn't even look the part.
If you mean that David Cameron has not policies, is driven by spin and lack of substance, and is a typical example of brainless, brainwash government then yes, he is the perfect successor to Tony Blair.
Personally I'd rather have someone with some good ideas about how to improve real people’s lives for the better, which, indecently is why we elect politicians in the first place. Now, as for John 'Wayne' Reid..uhhmm well let's hope that he's not the best of a bad bunch.
If Labour fight the next election with Gordon Brown at the helm, they might have some difficulty in persuading people to vote for him. If they go into the next election with "Dr" John Reid as leader, they risk meltdown.
People's objections about Gordon Brown is that his PR is non-existent, and he's too serious. I like that in a politician, I want them to speak about the detail, because the devil is in the detail, and I have no interest in seeing them hug Spice Girls...
Reid in contrast is more Tory than the current Tory party leader. His attitude to Muslims has disgusted me: and I'm a common-garden white middle-class person - if Labour elect him as leader, I am more likely than ever before to vote Tory, in order to get the more moderate of the 2...!
It struck me on listening to Nick Robinson on the news tonight (October 1) and in light of the tenor of this particular piece, that he is far gentler with the tories than with labour. Indeed, my companion opined that he appeared to be a supporter of the former party. Since the 91Èȱ¬ is supposed to be dispassionate, perhaps Robinson could attempt to be even-handed in future?
I think that Chancellor & PM are just about the only jobs that Mr Reid hasn't yet had a go at yet.
Hasn't been long in any of them either, & he's not exactly been a success, has he?
John Reid would be a huge mistake. The A&E in his constituency has been downgraded, and someone is going to stand against him. History shows that anytime someone stands on NHS issues - they win. We could potentially have a prime minister losing his constituency seat.
It would be very interesting to see how John Reid would perform against Cameron. On the one hand he is associated very closely with Blair. On the other hand he has the ability to appeal to right-wing voters with his talk on immigration and terrorism. Cameron would be in a bit of a dilemma against Reid because he's obviously worried about going near traditional Tory issues like immigration for fear of ruining his party's new image. But Cameron would be forced to tackle those issues he he wasn't to lose voters to Reid.
The real contender for the PM position in this country if one is honest is David Cameron but unfortunately he refuses to answer any questions, so HOW can we take him seriously.
I have repeatedly tried to post a question on his blog page, but it's blocked every time, the question I put to him was, will he push for Foxhunting to be legalised to win the so called country lovers vote.
SUPPORT THE BAN STOP ANIMAL CRUELTY
John Reid may or may not be a good politician, however, he is most certainly not a PM in waiting. Not being Gordon Brown is not nearly enough to convince me he is the answer to anything. How can you take any person seriously who has come up through the communist ranks to now stand to the right of many in the conservative party on issues such as immigration, id cards and policing. If labour elects him as their leader, then they deserve to sink without trace at the election.
If John Reid becomes PM, will the last person to leave the country please switch out the lights...
I'm fast getting to the stage where I'd vote for anyone who didn't have a Scottish accent, it doesn't seem to matter what the subject is, the goverment spokesman has a scottish accent. Is there something they haven't told us?
Without wanting to say "I told you so" (comment #2), John Reid's not had a fortnight before the first set of depressing headlines with his name attached to them, having to explain why he'd like to be tough on crime if only he had somewhere to lock em all up. Was one of his predecessors, Jack Straw, trying to "take one for the team" by drawing the fire with his conroversial speech? And would that be a thinly veiled diversionary tactic if it was? :o)
What can you say about John Reid ? He reminds me of Bulldog from Frazier. Unprincipled, egotistical and will say anything for the ratings. He will sort the home office out in a 100 days. Do me a favour.