Were you still up for Portillo's comment on Crewe and Nantwich...?

With the BBC's John Pienaar taking a punt on a Tory by-election majority in Crewe and Nantwich of 7,800, it was left to Michael Portillo to put things in perspective...

On tonight's Politics Show, the former Conservative Cabinet Minister recalled how in the 1980s and early 1990s, Labour in Opposition won 'by election after by election' but failed to win the trust of the country in General Election after General Election...

Portillo says Boris's campaign was insulting...

'Boris's election campaign was an insult to my intelligence...'

Not my words. Not Ken Livingstone who Boris beat to become Mayor of London last week, but the judgement of former Tory Cabinet Minister and ex-London MP MICHAEL PORTILLO, speaking earlier tonight (Thursday) on BBC One's 'This Week' programme.

It's not the first time in the past few days that Portillo has put the boot into Boris.

On election night, there was little to cheer for Labour activists as the bad news after bad news came in from around the country...

But round about 3am, (yes, i know i'm an anorak!!), I found myself agreeing with Michael Portillo on his assessment of Boris.

He was asked whether he thought Boris had managed to re-launch himself as a serious politician in the Mayoral campaign.

Michael laughed, expressing doubt that Boris would ever be serious...Then, Michael Portillo paid a much warmer tribute to the Tory's bogeyman 'Red' Ken Livingstone, who he described as "a remarkable politician" who had achieved many positive things as Mayor - including introducing the highly popular Oyster travel card.

So as Boris hands out City Hall jobs to his mates, I wouldn't put any money on seeing Michael Portillo in the frame...

Twiggy wins Labour selection for West Derby...

Former Schools Minister Stephen Twigg could be back in Parliament after the next General Election. He has this afternoon defeated sitting MP Bob Wareing in an open selection contest to be Labour's candidate for West Derby, Liverpool at the next General Election.

Stephen Twigg spectacularly beat former Tory Defence Secretary Michael Portillo in Enfield Southgate, London in Labour's 1997 landslide - as recorded in the book "Were you still up for Portillo?"

Twiggy held Enfield Southgate in 2001, but narrowly lost the the Conservatives in the 2005 General Election.

The Labour majority in West Derby at the 2005 General Election was 15,225.