Isabel Hardman

George Osborne is in Beijing at the moment, drumming up support for Britain in the global race. Although that doesn't quite work because Britain is obviously racing China in this global race, but all the same, he wants China to run alongside Britain cheering it, rather than sledging as it steams ahead. And to be able to do that, this country apparently needs to swallow some of its pride about the sort of country that China is.

Much rejoicing in the ranks of education reformers today as just one sinner repents. Tristram Hunt has toldthe Mail On Sunday that Labour doesn't think free schools are just for 'yummy mummies' and that now his party does support free schools, but under the 'parent-led academies' banner. This is supposed to be a Damascene moment for Hunt, but really he's just explaining with greater clarity the stance his predecessor Stephen Twigg took in June. Here is the key line from the MoS: Will PLAs offer everything free schools have got? ‘Yes, but in an area of need, absolutely,’ Hunt enthuses. ‘The innovation, creativity, community engagement you see in the best free schools – great, let’s have more.

The congratulations have been flowing in from across the Labour party for Tristram Hunt as the new Shadow Education Secretary. But there is no praise higher for the newly promoted MP than to get a detailed letter from Michael Gove testing his mettle just a few days into the job. Gove saw Stephen Twigg as someone he didn't need to worry about a great deal, more of a distraction from his daily hobby of provoking the teaching unions than a mighty threat. But Hunt, while still possibly in danger of proving too Blairite for his party's tastes, appears a mightier candidate. Education Questions in the Commons will certainly be an entertaining festival of rhetoric from now on. The letter, which you can read in full here, says: 'Congratulations on your promotion to the Shadow Cabinet.

It's funny that the pizzas that ministers, advisers and lobbyists munched as they thrashed out a deal on press regulation in March have become a symbol of all that was wrong with those late-night negotiations. Today when Maria Miller decided to distance herself from the talks in Ed Miliband's office, a source close to the Culture Secretary explained that this included 'the Miliband office, the pizza, it was the presence of Hacked Off'. Obviously the presence of Hacked Off was more menacing than a few boxes of ham and pineapple pizza, but both have been banned from the three days of talks that the parties will now go into, ahead of a final decision on Friday.

The details of the government reshuffle are currently being hammered out at the 8.30 Downing Street meeting. But as MPs and ministers nervously wait for the call from the Number 10 switchboard, Ed Miliband will be plotting his own changes to his top team for later this week. And as key Shadow Cabinet members such as Liam Byrne look vulnerable, one shadow minister who is holding on with all he's got is Andy Burnham. The Shadow Health Secretary is very popular with the party's grassroots, but he is also politically vulnerable because of his connections to the previous Labour government. But though Ed Miliband failed to publicly back Burnham at the party's conference, his colleague has in the past few days launched an offensive on his detractors that also makes it more difficult to move him.

As the reshuffle heaves in to view, plenty of names are in the frame for promotion, both on the backbenches and junior ministerial ranks. Some of those names include members of the Number 10 policy board, chosen for that role because they were all deemed to be talented individuals. This means they are also considered rising stars and suitable ministerial material. But I've heard that the PM's thinking is to leave the policy board well alone, partly because its members have already had their promotion, and others still languishing on the backbenches deserve a chance too. In a coalition, you don't have as much luxury to promote every promising MP as you do in a majority one party government.

Simon Burns isn't the only Tory MP who fancies a crack at the Deputy Speakership, even if, as James has blogged, he might be the preferred Number 10 candidate. Other names include Nadine Dorries and Eleanor Laing. But I've just spoken to Brian Binley, who says that he has pretty much made up his mind to stand too. Binley said: 'I haven't completely made up my mind but I've had a lot of support. I've pretty much decided but I just want to be in the House when it is sitting to see what the mood is there. All the support I have had so far suggests that it is going to be good.' This is the Brian Binley of chambermaid and janitor fame, a man whose outspoken comments on the leadership will make him very popular indeed with backbenchers.