The big beasts and backbench bruisers who will be setting the political scene in 2012

David Blunkett, (Labour, Sheffield Brightside & Hillsborough)

His days on the Labour front bench may be over, but the search is on for the region’s first candidates to become Police Commissioners in elections in November, and the former Cabinet minister’s name keeps coming up for the South Yorkshire job.

His Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough seat was torn apart in the first draft of changes to constituency boundaries for the next election, so a return to local politics for the former Sheffield City Council leader could be more tempting. Still a wise head whose loyalty to the Labour leadership is appreciated.

Yvette Cooper (Labour, Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford

The Shadow Home Secretary has been one of Labour’s star performers in opposition and is increasingly being seen as a future leader if Ed Miliband fails to win voters around.

MP for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford, she has rattled the Government over home affairs issues and is a much improved performer in the House of Commons. If the Labour leader has a difficult year, expect more media talk over Ms Cooper.

Stella Creasy (Labour, Walthamstow)

A rising star of Labour’s 2010 intake, the Walthamstow MP missed out on a seat in the Shadow Cabinet when the likes of Leeds West MP Rachel Reeves, Barnsley East’s Michael Dugher and Chuka Umunna, now Shadow Business Secretary, were promoted in the autumn. She has earned great praise for her campaign against loan sharks, making a powerful impact in the House of Commons. A shadow home affairs brief, under the stewardship of Cooper, is a perfect platform to continue building her reputation.

Natascha Engel (Labour, North East Derbyshire)

Her Backbench Business Committee has been responsible for debates which have embarrassed the Government by demanding an EU referendum – as well as giving David Davis and Alan Johnson the chance to launch ferocious attacks on the BAE Systems management over proposed job losses at the company’s Brough plant in East Yorkshire.

She is becoming an increasingly powerful figure at Westminster – and has the potential to be a scourge to the leadership of all parties as the champion of backbenchers.

George Eustice (Tory, Camborne, Redruth & Hayle), Chris Heaton-Harris (Tory, Daventry) and Andrea Leadsom (Tory, South Northamptonshire)

The trio are the new Eurosceptics, marshalling a 2010 Tory intake with little enthusiasm for Brussels and keen to repatriate powers to Westminster. In the midst of the row over a referendum this year, it was David Cameron’s former press secretary Eustice who Downing Street turned to, hoping to broker a compromise.

Former MEP Heaton-Harris, a qualified referee, was called on to resolve the row with Fifa over whether England players could wear a poppy, while former banker Leadsom has been a prominent critic of the Government’s high-speed rail plans. With the Eurozone crisis showing little sign of being resolved, these three could grow increasingly powerful.

Justine Greening (Tory, Putney)

Rotherham-born Greening made it into the Cabinet as Transport Secretary when Liam Fox was forced to resign, although she may have been there earlier had five seats not been taken by the Lib Dems.

Next month, she will take a historic decision on whether to proceed with the £32bn high-speed rail network. She is widely expected to go ahead with it, sparking an almighty protest from well-organised and well-funded objectors. The ensuing battle may make or break her ministerial career.

Mark Harper (Tory, Forest of Dean)

White Tory men do not fancy their chances of promotion much, given ministerial posts have to be shared with the Liberal Democrats and the party’s leadership is acutely aware that there are few female faces around the Cabinet table. But Forest of Dean MP Harper has impressed working alongside Nick Clegg on constitutional affairs issues.

Kwasi Kwarteng (Tory, Spelthorne)

MP for Spelthorne, in Middlesex, he hasn’t been the highest profile of the latest Tory intake, but he has been tipped to become the party’s first black Cabinet minister. A fierce intellect and loyal to the Government, he has been quietly working away on the Transport Select Committee, but the bottom of the ladder may not be far away.

David Laws (Liberal Democrat, Yeovil)

The highly-rated Liberal Democrat lasted only 17 days as Chief Secretary to the Treasury before having to resign following revelations over his expenses, but with a spring reshuffle expected, David Cameron and Nick Clegg will both be keen to bring him back into the Government.

Any return will be controversial – after all he was suspended from the House for seven days – but he is widely respected so don’t count it out.

Graham Stuart (Tory, Beverley & Holderness)

Posts as chairmen of select committees used to be handed out by party whips, but the roles have gained added status since elections were introduced last year.

As chairman of the Education Select Committee, Stuart has already shown he is willing to get tough with Ministers – but is also ready to stand up for his party when necessary in the Commons. With Michael Gove’s education reforms one of the coalition’s most radical policies, Stuart could find himself increasingly influential.