David’s best moment came when the contenders were asked to pick between Blair and Brown. Ed Balls opted for Brown, Diane Abbott said that Brown ‘was the better man’ and then it was the elder Miliband’s turn. Without missing a beat, he answered ‘David Miliband.’ It was the perfect, commanding answer.
Ed Miliband again used the toughest language about the Liberal Democrats. He said that Labour must ‘defeat coalition candidates’ in next May’s election and show the Lib Dems that ‘Nick Clegg is leading them off a cliff.’
Andy Burnham now appears to be campaigning to be shadow Secretary of State for Health, talking almost exclusively about his plan for a National Care Service and as the race for second preferences intensifies both Milibands lavished him with praise. Ed Balls was his usual feisty self. He might be an also-ran in the campaign but he is boosting his standing in Labour circles with the fluency and frequency of his attacks on the coalition.