Brother against brother
James Forsyth 12:53am
The Daily Mail reported yesterday that Downing Street suspected that Ed Miliband and Douglas Alexander knew in advance of David Miliband’s Guardian op-ed. Today, in The Times Alice Miles, who is close to Ed Miliband, insists that Ed was unaware of it:
Many in Westminster suspect that one of the reasons David did not run in 2007 was that he knew Ed would not support him. Whether his brother is on board or not with David’s current maneuverings is one of the more fascinating aspects of this whole affair.Ed did not know about the article David wrote for The Guardian this week, which is being read as the launch of a leadership bid by the older Miliband. He loyally says that he believes his brother had no intention of stirring up the excitement that he has. On where he personally stands, he is absolutely clear. Brothers they may be, but Ed is “completely loyal to Gordon”, a close friend says. “If it came to a choice, he would stick with Gordon.”
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Silent Hunter
August 1st, 2008 1:33am Report this comment"...Ed did not know about the article David wrote for The Guardian..."
Believe that and you'll believe Labour can win the next election. LOL
Kevyn Bodman
August 1st, 2008 4:59am Report this commentYou can slice and dice as many reasons as you want why Miliband didn't stand against Brown last year; it all comes down to one reason.
He didn't think he'd win.
Whether or not Ed Miliband would support his brother is 'one of the most fascinating aspects' only if you've ingested a diet of daytime soap operas of family intrigues.
Compared with the options and motivations of: Straw, Harman, Johnson, the possibility of Darling resigning, whether or not Brown sacks Miliband D, whether or not Miliband D resigns, then the brother to brother aspect of this is trivial.
Miliband E is not a 'big beast'.
chris
August 1st, 2008 7:51am Report this commentWho would ever be "completely loyal to Gordon"? Could anyone imagine Brown being loyal? He shafted Blair after he had won three elections which gave Brown to opportunity to ruin to UK's economy!
Max Kaye
August 1st, 2008 9:00am Report this commentA sort of Tweedle-Adam and Tweedle-Cain. Hopefully we'll get to see some real political fratricide amongst the 'brothers' in the Labour Movement.
David is geekish, but Ed is plain weird: I'm still haunted by his gurnings during PMQs.
The Laughing Cavalier
August 1st, 2008 9:22am Report this commentThis is could be worse than the Grundy brothers.
oldtimer
August 1st, 2008 9:22am Report this commentI wonder which one will turn out to be the Milichump?
TrevorH
August 1st, 2008 10:52am Report this comment"one reason. He didn't think he'd win."
Maybe but logic says that for a young prospect the best policy would have been to stand if only to put a marker down for the future.
Miliband did not stand because Brown promised him the FO if he did not and refused to promise him anything if he did.
And of course he would have needed significant numbers of MPs to nominate him and Brown was strong-arming the entire labour party to ensure they ALL nominated HIM.
What a bunch of wallys.
Frank Pulley
August 1st, 2008 10:55am Report this commentMax
I assume you meant to say Tweedle-Abel (rather than Adam) and Tweedle-Cain, but as neither is Abel to make an impression on you, it was possibly a Freudian slip.
But the thing is: which is which? And who will slay the other with the jawbone of Gordon Brown?
Nicholas
August 1st, 2008 10:58am Report this commentI wonder if these two would be in the position they are in were it not for who their father was?
Gricer
August 1st, 2008 11:16am Report this comment"Psychofantic" dribble from Alice Miles.
Max Kaye
August 1st, 2008 12:40pm Report this commentThanks for the correction Frank. I didn't know that Cain used a jawbone. Samson slew a lot of Philistines at Jaffa using the jawbone of an Ass, so I guess Gordon Brown's jawbone would be appropriate.
Gricer - I can't stand Alice Miles. What did Andrew Marr ever see in her?
Frank Pulley
August 2nd, 2008 1:02am Report this commentMax
Jawbones were the 'weapon of choice'; the 'bling' of those days, apparently Cain not only invented murder, he was the first to use a deadly weapon, too (Samson was a copy-cat job). They got Cain on DNA - his ass was on the line from day one. I knew the DI that nicked him btw. (And if you Adam and Eve that ... as the Iron Duke said).
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