Solutions to the Mili-woe

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News is Nasty.

The media smelt blood in the water the moment Ed beat his brother. But Labour have made it easy for them with the rows, policy differences and deserting donors, (Lord Sainsbury in the Times today), all this feeds the story and makes it easy for lazy journalists to keep it running.

They did the same with IDS. They made their minds up that he would not survive, reported everything through that prism and he went in the end.

They did the same with Kennedy, Ming Campbell and to some extent with Blair, though he fended them off a couple of times.

If he doesn't kill this line in the next month, I give Miliband no more than 7 months.

Alan Edwards

Was listening to the Labour Media Broad Corporation when his squeeky voice was in mid apology just as I switched over. I simply don't think he can apolgise enough for the damage Labour has done to our country. If the BBC want to give him 24 hour air time for the next 13 years I still don't think that makes up for it. Pity Miliband was not Japanese!

Frank P

"A huskies-style stunt to symbolise how he’s different from his predecessor would not actually be such a bad idea for him."

A huskies-style stunt against a Russkies-style c***. That seems a fair trade.

You did that on purpose, didn't you Jummy, and I can't even be bothered to click into what a 'huskies-style stunt' is. :-)

Dimoto

There is no vacancy - we have a government.
And we have a leader of the opposition - Labour don't do quickfire assasinations.

Miliband should get his head down and work hard to reform his derelict shambles of a party, which is thoroughly unfit for office.
That is the only way he will establish credibility.
Gimmicky media events won't do him any good.

Lots of people in Labour and the media, are having an acute attack of the back-into-office-soon-itis. Dream on.

ollie

No serious party leader would admit publically that he was a socialist. Surely that's electoral suicide in today's climate - where the State has been seen to be a reckless spender and smothering nanny.

The Labour MPs who wanted older brother will grow increasingly enobled. Just look at Johnson - there is open warfare on Labour's front bench, but nobody seems particularly bothered by it.

I can't stand David Miliband - but he would be more electable than his idiot younger brother.

toco

Voters will never back someone who became leader solely through the support and patronage of the discredited,unpatriotic,disloyal and communist leaning trades unions.

Gawain

I think you're being a bit cruel. Huskies are fierce, semi wild dogs.They would tear Millie apart. He was Comprehensively educated and didn't do sport at school. I think the stunts for him would be more in the flower arranging, knitting sort of area. Suitably Socialist flower arranging and knitting of course.

Cynic

The news which astounded me the most was that he's ahead in the polls! Have voters no memory at all?

Holly ......

I'm saying nowt.
'Till I stop laughing.

Mark Cannon

If it looks like a muppet and talks like a muppet, it's a muppet.

Jonathan Woolf

Remember the last leader of the opposition who didn't have any authority in his shadow cabinet or parliamentary party? At least IDS started with some semblance of it. Miliband's execution by his own MPs is only a matter of time - I wouldn't put money on him contesting the next election. If he does, he'd make even Cameron look good in the debates, unless Cameron decides to play the Bullingdon bully a bit too much.

mackname

21st century politics

In order to increase political parties’ relevancy to modern era, they ought to be privatised [officially] and their shares should be openly bought and sold on stock markets.

Nicholas

The battle lines are being drawn. Watch as this clown allies himself with the growing communist protest against the cuts. He has already says he wishes he could join the student protests on the streets. The situation is bringing Britain's communists out of the woodwork. They have been cloaked within the "progressive" movement and pulling levers for 13 years and now they are emerging into the open.

Edward McLaughlin

I would agree with Dimoto's comment on the way that Labour seem to have been stricken by giro failure and need to get a basic fix on where they are.

Aside of that, all this: 'the media is in hunting mode', and 'The media...don't like....' - I've noticed this trend here at the Spectator and elsewhere.

Years ago when Arthur Scargill started to refer to himself and position himself during interviews, 'Arthur Scargill will not move on this' it was clear that he had elevated himself from reality and was in danger of letting go of the reasons why he was doing his job.

There is in this piece, a hint of what can be seen more generally: that there is a similar dissociation evolving in those who voice our media.

I suspect the reason might be that although as individuals they are perfectly capable of and well-suited to carrying out their duties; together as a group, they comprise a very narrow experiential strand which has been systemically stripped of latitude over years of focus-group recruitment.

TGF UKIP

Oh what fine Village sport this is for the keyboard jockeys, Red Ed watching and, in some cases, Red Ed baiting, but all supremely irrelevant.

The actuality is that the Swivel-eyed needs to do very little other than perhaps distance himself a little from the excesses of Red Len and Carrion Crow. Dave and his mates have centre stage and so far as the voters are observing politics at at this stage, all eyes are on them and this farce of a goverment won't need Red Ed to destroy them they'll manage that very nicely by themselves.

All that the Swivel-eyed needs do now is to remain in the wings and wait for the Cameron clowns to be booed off the stage.

Ricky

The answer is simple:

How about REd forming a coalition with the Labour Party?

2trueblue

My father always said 'What do we know about these people?' True then and true now.

Terence Hale

Hi,
Mr. Miliband’s (Milzbrand) has not a difficult inheritance as a
"rabbit from the hat" he has no ministerial experience, he is not a pop
singer or a film star. Just young "cool" and dynamoatic.
Every body remains in a state of rest or uniform
motion (politics) unless it is acted upon by an external
unbalanced force (Nick Clegg). This means that in the absence of
a non-zero net force (his bother), the center of mass of his body
either remains at rest (night), or moves at a constant speed in a
straight line by riding his bicycle to parliament as Mr.Cameron
(ByekCamCop syndrome).

Regards Dr. Terence Hale

dorothy wilson

Cynic: Paradoxically one of the reasons Labour seem to be ahead in the polls could be that they have no policies. Deluded voters can thus fantasise that things would be better under them.

paulg

" no easy way out of the hole" give him a shovel and tell him to start digging.

Niklas Smith

"Ed Miliband must be the only leader who has been attacked on the front page of a newspaper for not linking peerages to donations."

I'm in Sweden so could I ask what this is referring to? Is it about the Times story about Lord Sainsbury refusing to give any more money?