There’s a comment piece by Gordon Brown in today’s Observer, and one by David Miliband in the Mail on Sunday. The subject of both? Russia and the Georgian crisis.
Our Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary’s words on the matter are familiar by now – all about how Russian aggression is “unacceptable” and how they must recognise Georgian “territorial integrity”. But there’s still little sign that this message will be backed up by substantive action, of any sort.
In which case, it’s difficult not to read the articles from the perspective of a Kremlinoglogist. Two comment pieces, on the same topic, by two senior ministers, in one day? Yes, there’s a European summit in Brussels tomorrow – but it still smacks of the Government trying to force the narrative away from Darling’s frank admissions yesterday (which the Chancellor has since – embarrassingly – backtracked on).
And that’s not the worst of it. Remember how one of the most controversial aspects of Miliband’s infamous Guardian article was how he didn’t namecheck Gordon Brown? Well, here’s the headline to his Mail article today: “DAVID MILIBAND: The immediate instinct of the Prime Minister and I is clear: Speak out against aggression”. The Prime Minister and I? It’s hardly subtle…
The problem for the Government is that when even their statements on the Georgian crisis hint at internal party wrangling and backbiting, then it’s going to be very hard for the international community – and British voters – to take them seriously.
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