A star is born or, at least, a starling. I speak of Chris Bryant, a man thought previously to be a bit of a political car crash. This is the MP, a former vicar no less, best known for posting a picture of himself in his underpants on the Gaydar website. I thought of that (though obviously not for long) when I saw him at the dispatch box. It seemed a bit of a miracle.

“The Leader of the House has been struck down by the lurgy,” Mr Bryant announced with, perhaps, just a bit too much bounciness. The Hansard scribes looked alarmed. I'm not sure anyone has ever said “lurgy” before in the Commons but it's long overdue.

I looked at him and knew that this was the high point of his career - by some margin. For him, there really is a God though, actually, Gordon Brown (the two must not be confused, though both think globally) had more to do with it. Mr Bryant, after his brief encounter, redeemed himself as one of the gang of four who plotted the coup against Tony Blair. Now Gordon has rewarded him by making him Harriet Harman's deputy. Now the understudy (this is a story of many under-things) had been given his big chance.

He began with an insult to Theresa May who, perhaps inspired by her leopard-skin pumps, had been quite catty in her comments.

“You talk about the Government re-announcing things,” he said dismissively, “but I think that I have heard your peroration perhaps 25 times in the past year! You are on your usual form.”

Meow! MPs, used to Harriet's almost yogically calm performance, sat up. But they needed little encouragement for they were furious with Harriet who, pre-lurgy, had squashed the debate on abortion. But Mr Bryant, sharp, combative and no-nonsense, told them that the debate had been conducted entirely properly.

This drove Peter Bone, the Tory famous only for looking like Sven-Göran Eriksson, to insist: “I do hope that the Leader of the House really is unwell!” Sven explained his theory: Harriet wasn't really ill, only at home “considering her position”.

Mr Bryant was stern. “I am sure he doesn't hope that the Leader of the House is ill.” Sven didn't look sorry. “And I'm sure he wasn't questioning whether what I said earlier was true or not.” This stung, for it was the parliamentary equivalent of a slap.

It certainly woke me up. Everyone was noticing now that Mr Bryant was actually rather good. He listened closely to Tory complaints on the subjects of Afghanistan, crime statistics and rail safety and promised to look into things. He had little time for cant. At one point he said to Theresa May, “Yes, I can hear you chuntering ...” When the perennial subject of fireworks came up, he could only say: “I find it slightly difficult to be an ardent repressor of fireworks because I rather like them.”

MPs, who love to toady more than anything, began to slather Mr Bryant with praise. It was heady stuff. But then John Hemming, the egregious Lib Dem, went too far. “The Prime Minister has clearly lost the plot, and perhaps the Deputy Leader of the House, standing in for his boss, who is standing in for her boss, would do a better job!”

Chris Bryant for PM! Oh my goodness. It was just way way way too much. But it just goes to show: never judge a man by his underpants.

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