Frank Dobson (59)
What now for Tony Blair's "poodle"? With Ken Livingstone declared as an independent candid ate, Frank Dobson (59) finds himself in the unenviable position of going head to head for the mayoral post with the darling of London voters.
Just as the unfortunate Alan Michael discovered in Wales, being the Blairite candidate is not a sure ticket to success. And despite his insistence that he won the electoral college vote outright, Dobson might find the pressure from No 10 to stand down in the face of a charismatic campaign by Livingstone is a battle he cannot win.
The former Health Secretary stood down from his post last October to run as the Labour candidate and soon after was endorsed by Tony Blair as the man who could "do a good job" for London. Once described as looking like a cross between King George V and Mr Punch, Dobson's rather stiff public persona has not won him many supporters among ordinary London voters. He has appeared uncomfortable on the hustings but has won some support by declaring his intention to run his campaign his way, not Blair's way.
His biggest handicap is that he is Blair's man and voters may not trust him to put London before the Labour Party.