CREDIT WHERE DUE FOR ALAN JOHNSON

It's only fair when having a general whinge about politicians to credit those who perform well, especially in the kindergarten of the Today programnme where the general dunderheadedness of the presenters - Evan Davies excepted - catches out interviewees who just can't believe what they are being asked. Alan Johnson on the Today programme this morning was just such a politician. He was interviewed by the excellent Evan Davies, so no dumb questions or pointless tangents of the type Dim Jim Naughtie loves.

Evan Davies started by asking Johnson about the comments of serial also-ran Frank Field about Gordon Brown. As Alan Johnson pointed out rather combatively, Frank Field and Gordon Brown don't like each other. That's the beginning and the end of it. Field has also never got over being given the power to 'think the unthinkable' on welfare early in Blair's reign and, er, not being able to think of anything.

After a few minutes of pointless chit chat around this subject, with Evan Davies second guessed all the way by Johnson, they got on to the issue of social care and, throughout the interview Johnson argued his case well, clearly and without falling into any of the mindless Today traps which presenters try for.

Davies was trying to make something of the fact that the government has been talking about social care changes for years and Johnson's reply was clear and to the point: its a huge, intractable issue which needs a lot of thought. Now that may be seen as fudging the issue but to me it seems like reasonable candour about one hell of an issue which will affect everyone for decades to come.

Johnson made one cheap jibe at the Lib Dems for apparently abandoning our poicy of free care, the truth of which I don't know but, that aside, he was extremely effective.

Still, he'll never be leader as he's neither Scottish nor Posh.