Westminster resignations: 'Imagine if Blair lost Campbell in 1998'

The ripples of excitement even reached Scottish shores, not least because Labour leader Ed Miliband was in the Lothians yesterday, juggling local visits while coping with the aftermath of events in London.

Miliband's short time as Labour leader has not been without its trouble and the loss of his Shadow Chancellor could have derailed him after a slow start in the job.

But there have been signs of improvement since his election as party leader last year, when the News was one of only four media outlets in the UK to back him.

We did so at the time with a small degree of reluctance, suggesting that he was "the best of a limited bunch" of contenders.

The indications that, in fact, he may be better than that have come in some decent House of Commons performances against David Cameron, plus the gradual emergence of some new policies.

His backing for the Mark Wright Centre suggests that he can connect with issues that matter to people, too.

Losing Johnson was obviously a blow but, in truth, Ed Balls was always the better choice to harry George Osborne. With a few months under his belt as leader, Miliband can surely handle a one-time (and possibly future) rival in this key role.

Oddly, the loss of Coulson, an unelected spin doctor rather than a frontbench colleague, may be harder on the Prime Minister.

Coulson was at the very heart of the Cameron project, a trusted aide who advised on policy as well as PR. Imagine what the result might have been for Tony Blair if he had lost Alastair Campbell in 1998.

One of the true tests of a leader is how he or she copes with a serious setback. Both Miliband and Cameron have been so tested this week.

The manner in which they respond will be a major factor in how the coalition government and the opposition cope at Westminster. It will also have a bearing on both parties' fortunes at this May's Holyrood elections.