Gordon Brown’s return to prominence during the Scottish referendum has been compared to Cheryl Cole’s comeback on the X Factor.
Labour’s deputy leader Harriet Harman made the joke as she praised the former prime minister’s role in saving the Union in a speech which closed the party’s Manchester conference.
She also suggested that Prime Minister David Cameron’s recent behaviour was reminiscent of the David Brent character played by Ricky Gervais in The Office.
It followed reports that the Conservative leader had let slip that the Queen was “purring down the phone” to him when he told her the referendum result.
Labour leader Ed Miliband blundered on Monday by thanking all of the party’s key figures in the referendum campaign except his former boss, Mr Brown.
However, Ms Harman made a point of highlighting his intervention, saying: “We owe a big debt of gratitude to all you who campaigned and especially to Alastair Darling, Jim Murphy, Douglas Alexander and Anas Sarwar.
“But there’s one person who played a key role in keeping the Union together. Someone who’s had the biggest comeback since Cheryl Cole made it back onto the X Factor, our former prime minister, Gordon Brown.”
She added: “We know that success always has many fathers. But let’s not forget it has mothers too, and I would like to pay tribute to two extraordinary women who played a leading role in the Scottish campaign – Johann Lamont and Margaret Curran.
“But as well as the historic vote in Scotland last week, this conference is history in the making as it’s the last time we gather before we fight the general election, win the general election and make Ed Miliband the prime minister.”
Turning her fire on the prime minister, Ms Harman said: “We know that David Cameron’s got a problem with women.
“We’ll never forget that time in the House of Commons when he told Angela Eagle to “calm down, dear” and he’s at it again.
“Today we hear he’s described Her Majesty the Queen as ‘purring down the phone at him’. And we are not amused.
“Sometimes it’s like we’ve got David Brent as prime minister.”