Brotherly love

David Lindsay

The endorsement of Ed Miliband by Baroness Smith, John Smith's widow, is not because he is a social conservative like that late, great opponent of abortion, easier divorce, unregulated drinking and gambling, and unrestricted Sunday trading. Had Smith lived, then he would certainly have won the 1997 Election, and this country would not have spent 13 years vacillating over the status of cannabis, or toying with super-casinos, or watching lap-dancing clubs, a term which we had never heard a decade ago, proliferate on our streets.

But I increasingly doubt that he holds neoliberal views on alcohol, gambling, drugs, vice or seven-day working weeks. The endorsement of Lady Smith suggests most strongly that he does not, just as it suggests most strongly that, like her late husband, he is not an economic neoliberal at all, and therefore, unlike his brother, not a geopolitical neoconservative, either. In which case, he no doubt recognises that we cannot deliver the welfare provisions and the other public services that our people have rightly come to expect unless we know how many people there are in this country, unless we control immigration properly, and unless we insist that everyone use spoken and written English to the necessary level.

Ed Miliband is not a simple heir to John Smith. Alas, no candidate is, a surefire sign that, in the medium to long run, the Labour Party is finished. But at least he is aware of, he understands, he values, and he is prepared to draw on the Radical Liberal, Tory populist, trade union, co-operative, Christian Socialist, Social Catholic and Distributist, and other roots of the Labour Movement; the socially and culturally conservative, strongly patriotic tendencies within the British Left's traditional electoral base.

Indeed, in some ways, he may even be better than Smith ever lived to be. Had Smith become Prime Minister, then he would have become a lot more sceptical about the EU; the early signs of that were already appearing during the Maastricht debates. And if Smith had ever legislated for devolution rather than saying that the question was answered, at least in the Scottish case, by the fact of his own Premiership, then he would rapidly have become as disillusioned with that whole project as Gordon Brown did. Yes, as disillusioned as that. But not least, though not exclusively, because of his closeness to Brown, Ed Miliband is almost certainly already there, both on the EU and on the breakup of the Labour Movement by means of the breakup of the United Kingdom.

Andy Carpark

'The endorsement of Lady Smith suggests most strongly that he does not, just as it suggests most strongly that, like her late husband, he is not an economic neoliberal at all, and therefore, unlike his brother, not a geopolitical neoconservative, either.'

I think I just lost the will to live.

Ezra

Would Coffee Housers like to play fantasy shadow cabinet? Leader plus great offices of state. Candidates for leader as declared; candidates for other jobs from the current shadow cabinet, plus the leadership candidates. Two selections: Most feared outcome (for right-thinking people everywhere), and best four (that is, the top team to keep Labour out of office for a decade).

My most feared selection would be:
Leader: Andy Burnham
Shadow Chancellor: Liam Byrne
Shadow Foreign Secretary: Douglas Alexander
Shadow Home Secretary: Alan Johnson

And what I would hope for:

Leader: Ed Balls
Shadow Chancellor: Ed Miliband
Shadow Foreign Secretary: Diane Abbott
Shadow Home Secretary: Yvette Cooper

Entries please!

Percy

@Ezra

I think you'll find that Liam Byrne has already crapped on the Treasury doorstep.

Ezra

@Percy:

No, it's a cunning move: Labour only has a chance if it adopts a realistic attitude to its economic legacy; Liam Byrne is ideally placed to do this! (I also think he's - worryingly - impressive.)

HFC

AndyCarpark.

After re-reading it three times I got thro' that par. OK.

It was this wot dun me 'ed in:

"But at least he is aware of, he understands, he values, and he is prepared to draw on the Radical Liberal, Tory populist, trade union, co-operative, Christian Socialist, Social Catholic and Distributist, and other roots of the Labour Movement; the socially and culturally conservative, strongly patriotic tendencies within the British Left's traditional electoral base."

Gosh.

Tim W

My most feared would be:
Leader: David Miliband
Deputy Leader: Alan Johnson
Shadow Chancellor: Ed Miliband
Shadow Foreign Secretary: Douglas Alexander
Shadow Health Secretary: Andy Burnham
Shadow Home Secretary: Alastair Darling or Hilary Benn

The one I want most:
Leader: Gordon Brown
Deputy Leader: Ed Balls
Shadow Chancellor: Diane Abbott
Shadow Foreign Secretary: Lord (Tony) Woodley
Shadow Home Secretary: Lord (Bob) Crow

TrevorsDen

No Tim the labour leader I would like most would be Tony Blair. The look on all their faces would be a peach. Since he is Scottish then I see no problem in Gordon Brown stepping down from his seat to accommodate him.

I took Mr Lindsay's piece as his stab at post classical neo modernist crypto satirical humour.

Tarka the Rotter

doesn't voting for one's brother constitute nepotism?

alexsandr

Ed Millipede didn't do well with Brillo and Portillo last night. Even Giles Brandreth looked more impressive!!

ollie

I saw gastricband jnr on This Week, and I thought he was far and away the least impressive out of a seriously unimpressive group.

Happy days for Cameron for many years to come with this sorry shower.