John Prescott, Gordon Brown, Jack Straw and Robin Cook have all performed to Mr Blair's satisfaction, give or take a few ups-and-downs.

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Boris now takes on the role once played by Michael Heseltine to Margaret Thatcher, Michael Portillo to John Major or Gordon Brown to Tony Blair.

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Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, Chancellor Gordon Brown and leader of the Commons Margaret Beckett have distanced themselves from the commitment although Culture Secretary Chris Smith said he supports a referendum.

BBC: Ministers shy away from PR pledge

Thanks to the inquiry's impressive rota of high-profile witnesses including the current prime minister, David Cameron, and two former ones, Gordon Brown and Sir John Major it is possible to plot the country's senior politicians on a spectrum of enthusiasm for press regulation.

ECONOMIST: Politics and the press

Her other successors in No 10 - Sir John Major, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown - praised her strength of character and political purpose, while Labour leader Ed Miliband said Lady Thatcher had been a "unique figure" who "reshaped the politics of a whole generation".

BBC: Baroness Thatcher dies: Tributes paid at home and abroad

Little wonder that many senior members of Mr Blair's cabinet, including John Prescott, the deputy prime minister, Gordon Brown, the chancellor and Jack Straw, the home secretary, have let it be known that they would prefer to stick with the current first-past-the-post system.

ECONOMIST: The ghosts at Ashdown’s feast | The

John Healey, who served as a local government minister under Gordon Brown, described the legislation as the "most fundamental change in local government funding since the poll tax".

BBC: Former ministers condemn council funding bill

Alongside Gordon Brown in Westminster Abbey were former prime ministers Sir John Major and Baroness Thatcher.

BBC: Millions mark lost WWI generation