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Having duffed up the government's transport spokesman, Earl Attlee, in the Lords last week, the former Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis has been recalled to Labour's front bench.

He will join the Treasury team and lead in the Lords on the Infrastructure Bill. Last week he gave the government a torrid time with some penetrating questions about the West Coast Main Line affair, and his performance clearly delighted the Labour troops.

But no-one denies he's a class act, so this return to the colours may well have been in prospect before that. Indeed, maybe that was what encouraged him to weigh in...

But having led the uber think-tank the Institute for Government, and having written a fascinating book on education policy, it would be a loss to the national debate if Lord Adonis was confined to Treasury issues. I hope his leader, Lady Royall allows him to range wider….