[Dougal]

I've thought about this overnight and it strikes me that there are pitfalls potentially with most of the contenders to replace Huw Edwards for the General Election.

Clive Myrie: Unquestionably a strong candidate but has relatively little domestic and political experience. Do you want somebody anchoring an 8 hour broadcast whose strength lies in overseas reporting? I also have an issue with serious (news) broadcasters who 'diversify' into other forms of broadcasting (for example a quiz show or an antiques show).

Laura Kuenssberg: A sensible choice, but... traditionally the Political Editor sits alongside the anchor on election night. I can't help but think that an individual so associated with the BBC's political coverage would insert themselves into analysis that should in theory be left to the Political Editor (in this case Chris Mason).

Reeta Chakrabarti: A stronger choice, with a good grounding in political reporting from earlier in her career. Very good at using the touchscreen and her delivery is flawless. Election night can be pretty dynamic (especially when the results start flooding in) and I'm not sure she can ad-lib or pivot brilliantly.

Jeremy Vine: No.

Sophie Raworth: The strongest contender of all of those named. An old hand at anchoring, a recognised face to the public, can keep a live broadcast going (she did Breakfast for long enough in the 90s and 00s) and has the political experience from filling in frequently for Andrew Marr.

Who wasn't on the list in The Sunday Times? I'm not convinced that Fiona Bruce is a runner. Rightly or wrongly, the public perceive as biassed and as more of an entertainment presenter these days. Mishal Hussain would be a wise choice: her political experience on the Today programme is exceptional and there is no perception of bias.