Rhyme minister's questions

THE identity of a mystery Blairite poet among Labour's top ranks is puzzling MPs.

The anonymous bard, alleged to be a Cabinet minister, is said by the Spectator website to be behind the lines: "At Downing Street upon the stair, I met a man who wasn't Blair, He wasn't Blair again today, Oh how I wish he'd go away."

During the Commons debate yesterday on post office closures, John Hutton, the Business Secretary, was accused by Alan Duncan, his Tory shadow, of being the man responsible for the words.

Mr Duncan claimed Mr Hutton had once said Gordon Brown would make a "blooming awful prime minister – and I translate for the sake of decency".

But Mr Hutton denied the ode was his, saying: "I would write better poetry than that. Those are absolutely not my words."