“Gordon is obsessive, paranoid, secretive and lacking in personal skills. I’d probably pack it in if Gordon became leader.”

Read more in The Mail's serialisation of Chris Mullin's diaries. Here's another couple of extracts from the Mail's article:

"Gordon Brown is described variously as ‘mirthless’, ‘obsessive’, ‘paranoid’ and ‘megalomaniac’ but ‘if it all goes wrong he’ll be nowhere to be seen’.

John Prescott is ‘hopelessly insecure’ and ‘afraid of being shown up by his underlings’ and, Mr Mullin reveals, came to work one day wearing shoes that did not match.

Peter Mandelson ‘doesn’t keep his trap shut and can’t bear not being the centre of attention’, Yvette Cooper is ‘bright and pleasant but a swot rather than a natural talent’ and Keith Vaz ‘an utter lightweight’."

"Over time, Mr Mullin grows to like and admire Prescott, but his first impression is not good. Fellow Minister Hilary Armstrong warns him: ‘He is hopelessly insecure, ever afraid of being shown up by one of his underlings, constantly interfering in matters best left to junior

Ministers.’ On another occasion Ms Armstrong told him that Mr Brown was ‘paranoid [as if we didn’t know, inserts Mr Mullin] about losing the succession, and ruthless about disposing of rivals’.

She said: ‘He is convinced Alan [Milburn] is being set up to succeed Tony and once said to me, “I’ve sorted David [Blunkett] and I’ll sort Alan.”’"

And these fools and knaves are still in positions of power?!