David Aaronovitch: Syria vote shows Ed Miliband is a ‘vulture’ not a ‘leader’

David Aaronovitch’s column in The Times today (here) is fairly devastating for Ed Miliband. He’s angry about the Syria vote, but this has crystalised his misgivings about the character of the man who would be Prime Minister. Miliband could have accepted Cameron’s motion and taken credit for getting proper process established, he said. But instead he chose to exploit and scavenge.

It was said of Gordon Brown that he was a destructive force, and could not build – as Blair had built. Aaranovich gives an even worse verdict for Miliband: he’s so hopeless that cannot even destruct. He just waits for people to fall into trouble, and then swoops.

He wouldn’t outline his own alternative strategy — he’d just defeat Mr Cameron’s. And in this moment of crisis it became clear — as it does — what Mr Miliband is. A personable man (and he is a very pleasant companion), politically he is not a presence at all, he is an absence.