Shortly afterwards, in spite of polling an abject 15.7% in the European elections, and with four cabinet ministers departing, Labour chose to hug Mr Brown close.
Conservative hopes have been raised by the disgracing of the departing Labour member of Parliament, Margaret Moran, who said she was stepping down after drawing headlines in last year's scandal over parliamentary expenses.
However, the department may lose more in cash terms because it is also being required to deal with a capital project over commitment totalling around £38 billion left behind by the departing Labour administration.
Ruth Smeeth entered parliament in the vacated Stoke-on-Trent North seat of departing Labour stalwart Joan Walley with a reduced majority, and Rob Flello just about held on in Stoke-on-Trent South, with the Tories and UKIP both nipping at his heels.
And when Foot departed after Labour's abject defeat, Healey, at 66, chose not to run, feeling the party wanted the leadership to pass to a fresh generation.
In the 35 years since the "Gang of Four" departed from Labour, the Tory party has stayed together against the weight of even more widespread and fundamental disagreements on relationships with Europe.
Everyone knows how far Labour departed from its traditional base in order to earn a reputation for "electability".
It was when David Cameron, super-cringe, claimed to have a copy of the note Liam Byrne left in the Treasury when Labour departed on his actual lectern.
In 2009 there were 17,400 unqualified teachers, in 2010 just before the Labour party departed office it was 17,800.
Departing from New Labour made it so".
