Uncanny abilities

You know that you are doing well as a rising star in the Labour Party when the Daily Mail takes an interest in your work.

Today they profile Kirsty McNeill, the 'young Scottish woman' and local councillor who helped Gordon Brown write 'the speech of his life' thanks to her 'uncanny ability to translate ideas into 'Gordon speak''.

As super-powers go, the ability to translate ideas into Gordon speak is a pretty handy one just at the moment. Kirsty is also an extremely effective campaigner, having been one of the leading lights in the Make Poverty History campaign, and a parliamentary candidate at the last election who managed one of the biggest swings to Labour in the country standing against Simon Hughes in Bermondsey. (Tip for Daily Mail journalists - if you are writing an article about someone, there is a really useful research tool called 'Google').

But the Daily Mail are quick to warn their readers that it's not all good news, for Kirsty has a 'typical Left-wing feminist streak'. It's always the way with the Daily Mail - getting their praise is good, but it's their criticism that is really worth cherishing.