Jack Straw is the latest contender for DPM

In an interview with The Spectator, Leader of the House Jack Straw has confirmed he is interested in John Prescott's job.
It would seem that Prescott is dead in the water, an image that puts one in mind of Robert Maxwell. His colleagues are lining up to declare their interest in putting themselves forward for election.
Just as Blairites feared, the jostling for the deputy leadership looks more and more like a dry run for the real contest.
Alan Johnson was an early front-runner. English and enemy-free, he seemed an ideal antidote to Prescott.
Almost immediately, heavy-weight Cabinet minister Peter Hain announced he was also interested. His supporters stressed that he had considerable union support - important in an election where the unions have a third of the votes.
Hain-boosters also commented on how Hain was much admired by Gordon Brown.
All three would also be strong candidates to challenge Gordon "Arctic Monkeys" Brown for the leadership, if they had the balls.
Lovely Harriet Harman weighed in at the weekend, banging the feminist drum. Labour just had to have a female deputy leader she told anyone who would listen.
Yesterday on the Daily Politics, Harman stated several times that Britain had never had a female PM. Strange how people always forget Margaret Thatcher was biologically female.
But of course, if you want a woman deputy, there are other options. Tiny Blairite Hazel Blears thought she would make a good deputy, as does Patricia Hewitt.
It seems unlikely that Hewitt, Harman and Blears are really after the leadership. They would all make good deputies. There is an argument for a woman deputy - indeed many forget that Margaret Beckett was leader of the Labour party after the death of John Smith. She was an outstanding leader, she led the party with immense dignity and oversaw the election of Blair and her own replacement with Prescott.
As for Hain, Straw and Johnson, all three seem more interested in being leader of the party. All three would make a strong challenge to Brown.
Poor John Prescott. Six of his colleagues are openly discussing his job. That can't fill him with confidence about his future.