James Purnell is on manoeuvres. That certainly seems to be the consensus, and it’s one that I agree with. The same’s also been said of Ed Balls and David Miliband. But I’m struck by just how differently Purnell is going about things from his potential rivals. His approach could pay dividends.
You see, the manoeuvres of Ed Balls and David Miliband have largely consisted of showy efforts of support for Gordon Brown – the kind that say “Vote for me, Labour MPs; I’m a good guy”. Hardly any print or broadcast outlet has been spared their outpourings of devotion for the Dear Leader, and they’ve managed to cram in their “visions for the future of the party” whilst they’ve been at it.
Of course, this could well drum up the support that they crave. But it risks wedding them closely to Brown; hardly a popular figure with the public. And let’s not forget that they’re closely associated with him already – Miliband because he holds one of the “big four” positions in government, and Ed Balls because, well, he’s Ed Balls.
Purnell’s different. If my outside-of-Westminster friends are anything to go by, the public response to him would – until recently – have been “James who?”. In this Government, that kind of anonymity could be a blessing. But surely he’s more of a known quantity now, after the slew of media appearances that accompanied his welfare plans? True, but Purnell’s media appearances have all been related to his ministerial brief. No significant gestures of support for Gordon. No hints at what he’d do in power. Just welfare and pensions. Exactly how it should be.
The outcome is that, rightly or wrongly, Purnell might be seen as the only competent member of a multi-talentless government – the man who put his head down, set to work, and delivered a set of welfare proposals that have received widespread acclaim. Yes, they may not appeal to a swathe of Labour MPs. But if the Brown Effect continues, and Labour suffer an almighty drubbing at the next election, that may not matter. The party instinct may be to remove the taint; to turn to the most viable candidate who hasn’t been shaded Brown. In which case, Purnell could be back by popular demand.
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