Then Who?

With Diane Abbott now bound by collective responsibility, who will join David Davis and Simon Hughes or, less probably, Charles Kennedy in forming a triumvirate of the high-profile and the independent-minded on the EU, on the Armed Forces, on council housing, on civil liberties (and their consequences in terms of punishment), on the maximum multiple already accepted in principle by David Cameron, on the universal minimum income already accepted in principle by Iain Duncan Smith, on public transport, on the NHS, on the BBC, on the media generally, on the need for a Coroner's Inquest into the death of Dr David Kelly, and on so many other things, as set out here and elsewhere?

There are several possibilities, but the most obvious is the man who, before silly Political Correctness and the media's preference for their own came into play, had secured more nominations for Leader than Abbott had managed, including Frank Field, Kate Hoey of the Countryside Alliance, an outspoken opponent (and where are they on the Conservative benches these days?) both of European federalism and of Scottish separatism, and both Labour MPs, being half of all the MPs, from the second most rural county in England, one of whom is a pro-life Catholic. Step forward, John McDonnell? Or else who, and why?