- guardian.co.uk, Thursday 7 January 2010 19.47 GMT
Harriet Harman
Harriet Harman. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
As Labour's deputy leader, who is something of an iconic figure in the party after decades of fearless campaigning on equality, Harman was seen as the pivotal figure in the cabinet in deciding Gordon Brown's future.
Harman had damaged herself in 2008 by reportedly saying that her moment had arrived when Labour lost the Glasgow East byelection. But her position was strengthened last autumn when she let it be known she had no interest in contesting the leadership.
As the year drew to a close Harman indicated to cabinet members that she regarded Brown as a weak prime minister. She gave the impression to ministers that the only circumstance in which he could be replaced would be if he went of his own volition. She made clear her unease with Brown on Wednesday by releasing a lukewarm statement of support six hours after the Hoon/Hewitt email, but she was understood to be unwell.
Jack Straw
Jack Straw. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
Straw believes Brown has been a disappointment as prime minister. But he offered strong support for him on Wednesday after a recent improvement in the prime minister's performance.
Straw did have a conversation with Hoon on Tuesday night, the eve of the move against Gordon Brown, raising questions about the claim that there were no discussions between the plotters and cabinet ministers. But the plot was not mentioned as Hoon and Straw, defence and foreign secretary during the Iraq war, discussed their imminent appearance before the Chilcott inquiry. Straw's statement came out five hours after the plot emerged – and he made specific reference to the fact that "the polls are better than they were immediately before Gordon Brown took over".
The veteran justice secretary occupies a unique place in Labour party history. He is the only figure to have been nominated to run two successive campaigns for the leadership, but not actually done so. On each occasion, he fell out with the winning candidate.
Bob Ainsworth
Defence secretary Bob Ainsworth leaves the GMTV studios Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters
The defence secretary's unease about Brown's performance is one of the most surprising aspects of the saga. Ministers and backbenchers were astonished when Ainsworth, seen as pedestrian, was appointed defence secretary in last summer's reshuffle prompted by the resignation of James Purnell.
But Ainsworth, who had been armed forces minister, has won widespread praise for commitment to the armed forces. He does not have the intellectual firepower of his predecessor, John Hutton. But he outshines Hutton's predecessor, Des Browne. Ainsworth made clear his unease about Brown in the coolest of the lukewarm statements issued by cabinet ministers on Wednesday, which was one of the last to be emerge – at just before 7pm.
Jim Murphy
Jim Murphy (right). Photograph: Danny Lawson/PA
The Scottish secretary was unfairly named as one of the cabinet rebels. He was one of the first cabinet ministers to dismiss the plot when he appeared on the News Channel at 2pm. "Jim was prematurely loyal," a friend said.
Murphy is not a natural supporter of Brown because he was seen as a thinker, particularly on welfare reform, on the Blair wing of the party. But he and Brown have come to respect each other after working together on two key issues. The prime minister was impressed with the way that Murphy piloted the Lisbon treaty through the Commons when he advocated its passage on the grounds of jobs and economic growth, rather than on technical constitutional grounds.
Brown also believes that Murphy has played a pivotal role in meeting the threat from the SNP in Scotland.
Douglas Alexander
Douglas Alexander. Photograph: Alisdair Macdonald
The international development secretary was at pains to make clear todaythat he fully supports the prime minister, not least because he is Labour's general election campaign co-ordinator.
But it is an open secret at Westminster that, though he was once a member of Brown's inner circle, he has become disillusioned with Brown in recent years. Alexander was blamed by many supporters of Brown for pushing the prime minister too hard to hold an election in the autumn of 2007. He reportedly said during the Labour conference, while Brown was seriously contemplating an election, that the party could "seal the deal" and see off the Tories if an election were held.
Ed Balls, the most senior courtier, was also keen to hold an election. But he has patched up his differences with Brown and is now his closest ally in the cabinet.
