Miliband's Heseltine moment: a climb-down
Peter Hoskin 11:25am
Having slept on it, I feel I might have got a little carried away last night over David Miliband's alleged "Heseltine moment" comment. It may have indicated that he's thinking of doing a Heseltine, but it was also ambiguous enough as to be inconclusive. As Iain Dale so rightly points out, "It really would have been a big story if he had said: 'I wish I had gone further and done a Heseltine.'"
And that's assuming the story's true in the first place. I suspect it might be. But the BBC lack one crucial element: hard proof. That fact has allowed Miliband to simply deny the allegation, and return to the "I completely support Gordon Brown as leader" line. Enough to maintain the illusion of unity for now.
So, all-in-all, I doubt the BBC story will be a game-changer. But, whether true or no', it still reinforces the idea that Miliband has very definite designs on the premiership. And - in advance of his big speech today - that's still damaging enough for the incumbent PM.
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occasional ranter
September 23rd, 2008 12:02pm Report this commentNever mind doing a Heseltine, it was more like Michael Crick "doing an Andrew Gilligan". BBC journalists getting overexcited.
BTW, did anyone else enjoy the good slapping that Prescott gave Paxman ?
Johnny K
September 23rd, 2008 12:35pm Report this commentHaha! Yes, agreed. Much as I abhor everything about Prezza, I did enjoy watching him make Paxo squirm.
As for the Heseltine moment. It's a nothing story really, unfortunately.
Peter Wilson
September 23rd, 2008 12:39pm Report this commentSurely the fact it damages Labour and Brown is proof that the story must be true. The BBC would never run it otherwise.
Gilligan's fitted in with their agenda, this one doesn't - well not going by the Brown love-in stories present on their website
Ben
September 23rd, 2008 12:46pm Report this comment"Miliband has very definite designs on the premiership."
I disagree. I think he has designs on the Labour leadership - none of them want the premiership, as none of them want to go down in history as the shortest-lived PM who lost an election.
Ben Elford
September 23rd, 2008 12:55pm Report this commentIf the story's true, the likely explanation is that Miliband realised afterwards that he'd made a poor job of delivering the speech and was trying to excuse himself with a limp explanation.
Post hoc rationalisation is never very convincing.
David Lindsay
September 23rd, 2008 5:16pm Report this commentMilly's Friends, as seen on last night's Newsnight:
- David Aaronovitch, old Communist Party hand turned Murdoch columnist, and key member of the largely Murdoch-employed junta of old sectarian Leftists which ordered this country to war in Iraq;
- James Purnell, persecutor of the sick and the disabled, and David Cameron's choice for his own current Cabinet position, making Milly and him the Weirdo and the Weasel; and
- Eddie Izzard, more than a little at home in the gender-bending world of New Labour and New New Labour.
Meanwhile, Iain Dale reports that:
"The city of Chester's delegate has had her pass withdrawn and booted out of Conference after bumping in to David Milliband. She told him that he was a disgrace for the way he is "plotting" to bring down Gordon Brown. Miliband's people complained and they have now withdrawn her pass as a result."
Be afraid.
Be very, very, very afraid.
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