Pressure on Peter Hain intensifies

Whether Peter Hain can survive the weekend is an open question.  Significantly, his Tory enemies including the far-from-timid Chris Grayling are so far holding off on calling for his head over a funding scandal that darkens by the hour. This is not because the Conservatives think Mr Hain is safe.  It is because they, like Downing Street, are waiting to see what fresh torment awaits the Welsh wonder in the Sunday press.  If more bombshells land, David Cameron himself will be in prime position to demand a Cabinet scalp when he appears on BBC1's Andrew Marr show on Sunday.  

It is getting harder and harder for Peter Hain to keep smiling

And everyone knows this scandal (for that is exactly what it is, as Iain Dale rightly observes) will be the first real test of Gordon Brown's willingness to lay down his colleagues' lives to save himself.  Tony Blair was notoriously traumatised by sackings, but never hesitated to plunge in the knife when the moment demanded.  Mr Hain may hope for more squeamishness from Mr Brown.

Incidentally, I hear that Mr Hain himself is still putting a big white smile on his tanned face over the whole thing.  At a meeting with business types this week to discuss welfare reform, his opening line was: "Hello, I'm Peter Hain.  If anyone here gave money to my deputy leadership campaign, would you please stand up so I can find out who you are."