Leicester West Labour MP Liz Kendall was tipped as a future cabinet minister to me before I’d even met her.

Which is why her coyness over who she’ll back as the next Labour leader is so interesting.

The other two city MPs – Sir Peter Soulsby and Keith Vaz – have already announced they’ll be voting for frontrunner David Miliband.

But as a rising young star in the Labour Party, Ms Kendall will know that her backing, along with 30 or so other future key players, is coveted. Face-time with the big players beckons.

As a former SpAd to Blairite Patricia Hewitt, it’s hard to see her plumping for a leftie candidate such as Jon Cruddas, or the Brown-tarnished Ed Balls. Although ‘soft left’ Ed Miliband is popular  and charismatic and it’s unlikely anyone has ruled him out yet. Meanwhile Andy Burnham could sweep up some of the Blairite votes that don’t go to the older Miliband brother.

Whoever she backs, a line has been drawn in the sand. She’s marked herself out as an independent thinker who isn’t one to jump on a passing bandwagon.

Will she back a winner in the end? With Labour’s AV voting system the contest could be blown wide open if the older Miliband brother doesn’t sew up the nomination on first preference votes alone.

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