Who would have thought that at the end of a crucial conference for Gordon Brown, it would be a tale of two women that would dominate all the conversations in the Manchester Central convention complex, writes John Hipwood in Manchester.

Sarah Brown surprised us all when she suddenly appeared on the rostrum yesterday to introduce her husband, the Prime Minister.

Ruth Kelly surprised us by confirming that she will stand down from the Government at the Cabinet shake-up expected next week.

Mrs Brown stood there smiling and clearly a little embarrassed at the conference rostrum as delegates got to their feet and cheered.

It was straight from an American convention, but without the yuk. Mr Brown says he’s not going to involve his children in his political life, but clearly this doesn’t extend to his wife.

The Labour leader insists he did not put her up to it.

“It was Sarah’s decision. I am very proud of her and what she does. We are a team, we work together. I think she wanted to speak and say what she wanted to say, not in a political way. I am proud of what she did,” he said.

Mrs Brown is most definitely an asset to the Prime Minister, and they do work together on visits.

Some of the old hands here in Manchester were not too certain about her intervention, but she’s telegenic and has a natural charm – unlike her husband.

Norman Fowler always insists that when he coined the phrase that he was quitting as a Cabinet minister to “spend more time with his family”, he really meant it.

Mr Brown says it’s true again now about Ruth Kelly’s decision to stand down. Miss Kelly has been the Cabinet minister with the lowest profile so she won’t be missed when she leaves the Government

But the timing of the leak of her intentions has taken the gloss of Mr Brown’s successful day yesterday.

Lord Fowler returned to a Cabinet post later in his career, but I think we have seen the last of Ruth Kelly.

Another of this week’s losers is David Miliband.

Mr Brown’s aides insist he was talking about David Cameron when he said “it was no time for a novice” to be running the country. But it was surely a put-down too for the Foreign Secretary.