Miliband has lost the invisible primary
James Forsyth 1:24pm
For the last year and a half or so, there’s been an invisible primary going on between David Miliband and James Purnell. The contest between these two friends was to be regarded as the candidate of their generation and side of the party, the one that the other would have to defer to.
David Miliband started out in the box seat, he was the senior player. When there was a view that Brown should be challenged for the leadership last summer, Purnell played a behind the scenes role backing the abortive Miliband bid.
But now with Purnell displaying the backbone that Miliband lacks so conspicuously, the roles have been reversed. If Brown staggers on to lead Labour to massive defeat, Purnell will be one of the few Labour politicians who can say, ‘I did everything I could to try and spot this’. This will give him a USP for the leadership contest that will follow.
If Brown does go, Purnell will be the man who started the end game. That will make him a player. While people will remember how Miliband bottled it much as he did last summer.
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seb2
June 5th, 2009 1:34pm Report this commentIts a uniquely tory idea that courage is to be more prized than loyalty.
Ruairidh
June 5th, 2009 1:53pm Report this commentSeb2 - Courage is loyalty to a higher ideal.
Raffles
June 5th, 2009 1:56pm Report this commentMy take on this is Purnell did what he thought was enough to scupper Stalin Brown and Milliband's role is to stay calm, stay put and wait for the opportunity to step up to the plate, free from accusations that he wielded the knife. Then, when in situ, Purnell will be rewarded with one of the big Cabinet posts. This is my take, certainly not what i think will happen. Milliband has no hope, the Labour Party are going to lurch Left big time and the Blairites are going to be in the cold for a while.
Steve.W
June 5th, 2009 2:08pm Report this commentI'm not surprised, some people, even here on this forum think Miliband is intelligent, clever even. He's well educated that's all, there's a world of difference. Alistair Campbell always called him 'brains', I think Campbell was taking the piss.
Denis Cooper
June 5th, 2009 2:10pm Report this commentJust remind me - who is this Purnell?
I'd never really heard of him before last night - was he an important person?
James
June 5th, 2009 2:18pm Report this commentAnd so an anamosity that will last decades is born...
ClickMonster
June 5th, 2009 2:18pm Report this commentre: seb2
Loyalty to whom? The country, the consituents, the party, a failed leader or self?
Max Kaye
June 5th, 2009 2:20pm Report this commentMiliband was famously photographed holding his backbone in his hand.
Most people, however, would identify it as a banana
David Bouvier
June 5th, 2009 2:31pm Report this commentPurnell, is being loyal to his party and country, which requires courage in this instance.
Chris lancashire
June 5th, 2009 2:32pm Report this commentI would have thought it a universal value to prize courage over spinelessness.
Coeur de Lion
June 5th, 2009 2:34pm Report this commentRead Liddle in today's Speccie on Purnell. Why isn't more made of his 'expenses' behaviour? Should we congratulate Rod on getting rid of Purnell so neatly?
Vulture
June 5th, 2009 2:34pm Report this commentYou guys keep going on abt who's best placed to lead the Liebour party after the next election - but if Bruin staggers on, and if today's election results are any guide there won't be a Liebour party to lead! They had 33 Councillors in Staffs, for example : now they have 2 and the Tories have taken control for the first time since 1981! The eight Liebour Westminster seats in the county would all go. Liebour are heading for a wipeout.
Raffles
June 5th, 2009 2:36pm Report this commentHitler, Stalin and Mao all had their fair share of courageous and loyal followers. I suggest its not the courage or loyalty per se that matters but the ideasl behind it Seb2.
KB
June 5th, 2009 2:45pm Report this commentIf Purnell becomes LP leader I hope he'll remember how destructive the Blair-Brown "friendship" was and kneecap Miliband at the first opportunity.
[seb2: Courage is a higher form of loyalty.]
Nicholas
June 5th, 2009 3:12pm Report this commentSo much spinning by Labour mouthpieces and the BBC everything is a blur.
BBC trying ever so hard to make the Tory wins appear "disappointing" - even their pundits are finding it difficult to distance themselves from appearing personally involved and dismayed at the Labour losses.
It is One Big Lie and the media, especially the BBC, should be ashamed of themselves.
David Ossitt
June 5th, 2009 3:32pm Report this commentDavid Bouvier
"Purnell, is being loyal to his party and country, which requires courage in this instance"
Purnell is acting for the benefit of only one thing; his own political future.
He gives not one toss for his party and even less for the country.
He is a light weight; who should be having his collar felt by the constabulary over hid dodgy expenses.
Ann
June 5th, 2009 4:02pm Report this commentNicholas - the BBC has been the propaganda arm of the Labour party for many years. They all but admit it themselves.
David Lindsay
June 5th, 2009 5:45pm Report this commentOne down, one to go.
Purnell should have been sacked, anyway. Sacked for being on the fiddle. Sacked for publicly accepting the public offer of his job in a Cameron Cabinet. Sacked for persecuting the poor, the sick and the disabled. Sacked for being James Purnell.
George Osborne called his resignation “devastating news”. Devastating for whom, George? And why?
Not only should Purnell not be permitted to contest the Election as a Labour candidate, but he should be expelled from the Labour Party.
As should Blair. In the very unlikely event that Blair is still a member of it anyway, having hated it all his life, having only ever joined it on the instruction of his Oxford IMG mentor in order to destroy it, and having pretty much done so.
James
June 6th, 2009 3:37am Report this commentPurnell has, in my view, destroyed his own prospects. Just look at Hestletine who pulled the trigger on Thatcher. Essentially, Purnell, by pulling the trigger on the Prime Minister, has so polarized the party that he cannot possibly win their up and coming leadership contest. If Labour loses, Brown will do everything in his power to block him for the leadership by blaming him. If Brown leaves now, before an election, than Purnell still won't get it as he has, like Hestletine, eaten one of the party's own. That will make him unacceptable for a very, very long time. My bet is now on Miliband. He's locked it up, as opposed to the bizarre Alan Johnson (why he's a favorite i'll never know).
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