Dark horse

Heard at the back of the Labour front bench press conference last week, a journalist's stage whisper "Who's he?" accompanied by a gesture in the direction of Bryan Davies, further and higher education spokesman for the past two years.

Mr Davies can take comfort in the fact that the last occupant of his post to be subjected to this treatment at a press conference was Andrew Smith, that the questioner on that occasion was no mere hack but then-leader Neil Kinnock, and that Mr Smith has since risen extremely rapidly to the dizzy heights of shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, guaranteeing a starring role in this week's Budget debates and a very fair chance of being the next chancellor but three.