22:00 BREAKING NEWS : The Guardian are reporting this evening that the former Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, privately intervened in the Labour leadership election by ringing his friend and former close colleague, John Prescott, to try to persuade him not to put out a statement in support of David Miliband. The former PM rang the former DPM after the Ed Miliband camp heard word that he was swinging behind David Miliband. Prescott was said to be impressed with the way the David Miliband was defending Labour's record in office.
This comes as it is now inevitable that David Miliband will bow out of front line politics, it is not clear weather he will stay as an MP or not.
This astonishing story will add to David's apparent disillusionment, with Brown still using his "clunking fist" against his former sparring partner's heir. (sparring partner = tony blair)
