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Baroness Smith of Basildon is expecting to be a front bencher now she's been "booted upstairs"

After being MP in Basildon for 13 years, Angela Smith has been "booted upstairs", as they say at Westminster, to the House of Lords. Of course, it isn't upstairs. It's just along the corridor from Central lobby, but you get the gist.

After a stint as minister in Northern Ireland and then two years under Gordon Brown as the Prime Minister's Parliamentary Private Secretary, she is happy with her new role and spoke darkly about the number of ex-MPs who have yet to find employment.

After accompanying Gordon everywhere, attending Cabinet meetings and acting as a key liaison between the executive and parliament, I am not surprised.

There won't be time to put her feet up though.

"Jim Knight (Lab, South Dorset) and I have been grabbed," Baroness Basildon tells me," We are expecting to be front benchers."

She says she likes the climate change and environment portfolio:"But we just don't know at present, maybe we will hear something this week."

Baroness Smith supported Ed Balls in the leadership contest with Ed Miliband as her second preference.

"So I'm one of the ones who has put him (Ed Miliband) into power," she smiled.

She's sanguine about the outcome, believing Labour had a very strong field even though it might be some time before the new leader is tested at the ballot box.

"This coalition might fall apart politically but it is very difficult under the new rules to get rid of it."

It looks like Ed Miliband will have plenty of time impress the electorate... or not.

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