UK: 'Trust me, Gordon, loyalty’s in my DNA'

Article here. Excerpt:

'In the wake of intense speculation about her leadership hopes, it's fitting that Harriet Harman will be taking Prime Minister's Questions tomorrow while ­Gordon Brown is in Washington.

It's not the first time she has stepped into the ring as his substitute but tomorrow, the scrutiny will be all the fiercer.

She has emerged as a serious contender for the leadership — but also as a gaffe-prone member of the senior team.
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Her political strength derives from the strong mandate that no other minister possesses: her direct election by the Labour party as its deputy leader. Squeaking past Alan Johnson by the narrowest of margins, she won thanks to the overwhelming backing of women activists, as well as the votes of London party members. Her strong base in the capital is a significant fact if she should go all the way and run for leader.
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In the early 1980s, she was one of a small group of professional women in the Labour Party who strove to combine feminism with Labour values. It included Cherie Blair, with whom Ms Harman argued about abortion rights, and Margaret Hodge. Bossiness and self-interest are charges most often levelled at her.'