Having slept on it, I feel I might have got a little carried away last night over David Miliband’s alleged “Heseltine moment” comment. It may have indicated that he’s thinking of doing a Heseltine, but it was also ambiguous enough as to be inconclusive. As Iain Dale so rightly points out, “It really would have been a big story if he had said: ‘I wish I had gone further and done a Heseltine.'”
And that’s assuming the story’s true in the first place. I suspect it might be. But the BBC lack one crucial element: hard proof. That fact has allowed Miliband to simply deny the allegation, and return to the “I completely support Gordon Brown as leader” line. Enough to maintain the illusion of unity for now.
So, all-in-all, I doubt the BBC story will be a game-changer. But, whether true or no’, it still reinforces the idea that Miliband has very definite designs on the premiership. And – in advance of his big speech today – that’s still damaging enough for the incumbent PM.
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