Did you know that former Prime Ministers are allowed an allowance of up to £115,000 a year. The money is to meet the costs of fulfilling public duties associated with the role of a former PM. 

The last four premiers all claimed the cash, with John Major and Tony Blair claiming the full whack in 2011-12. Gordon Brown claimed just under the maximum amount - to the tune of £1.83.

Margaret Thatcher's allowance was £109,191 in 2011-12.

In the wake of Ed Miliband's conference speech, I've picked up a little hint of union doubts about whether they backed the right brother. There was also a suggestion of unions taking a public line about the speech and thinking differently in private. Of course all of this might be untrue. But it is fair to say that Mr Miliband's leadership address to the Labour conference in Liverpool garnered a wide range of responses.

Virtually a year after Ed Miliband became Labour leader, Alistair Darling has published his memoirs covering his time as Chancellor.

They make very interesting reading - particularly about the process that saw Ed Miliband win the party crown from his brother David.

Mr Darling said that Labour must stay in the centre ground, adding: "David Milband articulated all of this and I was disappointed and frustrated that Labour's electoral college caused him to lose so narrowly.

Why didn't David Miliband challenge Gordon Brown? If he had, might the older Miliband brother now be Labour leader and even Prime Minister?

That of course, we will never know.

But might a little light be shone on why David Miliband did not seek to topple Gordon Brown as Prime Minister?

Certainly, he was seen as the leading man and in pole position to take the crown as Mr Brown's premiership creaked and cracked.

There a few nuggets of information about why he might not have in Alistair Darling's new book, an excellent account of the global financial crisis and last days of the last Labour Government.

Update: A great interview today by my colleague and friend Jon Walker over at the Birmingham Post with Labour MP Tom Watson. His view of executives caught up in the phone hacking crisis is stark.

"What we've seen with this whole inquiry since we've picked it up is every new piece of evidence and data has literally had to be wrenched out of the hands of company solicitors or executives week by week.

"And they're still trying to manage the bad news process. This week I think they're dripping the story out rather than giving it all to the police. If you wanted to characterise their response to this scandal it would be one of dumb insolence."

For the full interview click here