It makes one realise how thin the resources were at Tony Blair's disposal.

Danny Finkelstein doesn't appear to have a great deal of time for Stephen Byers

I had always had the view -that Byers was a pretty bright bloke, one of the circle of people really innovating. I have a high view of Alan Milburn and lumped Byers in with him.
Now it turns out that Byers is comically dumb.
Honestly I think my 9 year old might have figured those people were from the Sunday Times.

before he adds

It makes one realise how thin the resources were at Tony Blair's disposal. He had all his talent in the backroom and very little indeed in Parliament. And this was a problem he failed to rectify over a very long period.