Is this really a good morning for Miliband?

Those on the centre and the left of the Labour party - those who don't want David Miliband to become leader - say they are upbeat this morning. They are pleased that this morning's Blairite plot to accelerate the downfall of Gordon Brown has been made public. Pleased, because they believe it will have the opposite effect. Blairite agitation, goes the theory, is more likely to keep Brown in his place than unseat him, thus giving them more time to find a candidate and go at the right time.

Never underestimate how little the rank and file of the Labour Party like Blair and his circle. "A small group took over the party in 1994 and brought it to its knees," is the verdict of many people, ignoring the fact Blair won three elections. The public may like the look of Miliband at an early glance, but it's not the public's choice, it's the Labour party - broken into three blocks, MPs and MEPs, unions and party members. And they are seeing Miliband as a man who destabalised the party last week then went on holiday for August, and in the vacuum asking themselves: "what's Alan Johnson up to".

Yet of the Blairites are pressing ahead, with statements, speeches and significant policy ideas. Charles Clarke, one of those singled out by plotters as one of their own, has this morning from Poland said it was wrong to say he was involved in discussions this week on plotting and timing - indeed unlike Gordon insists he is taking a proper break and not talking to colleagues at all. He promises his assessment when he gets back and may even suggest holding back rather than accelerating any scorched earth policy to unseat Brown. All this and it's only August 4.

Comments

[Peter Wilson]

Quote: "The public may like the look of Miliband at an early glance..."

Er...what makes you think that, there are numerous polls that suggest he or any other leader won't make any difference.

I think the country at large have made it quite clear they want shot of the whole Government not just Brown

[Paul Maleski]

The Milibands family background with regards to future foreign policy, gives me ulcers as big as cabbages.

[Matt Connelly]

Having read the article about the 2 Milleband brothers last week I fail to see how any self-respecting Socialist would want to have anything to do with either of these 2 spoilt children. And then we have Harriet H, another cosy comfortably-brought up champion of the working class. At least the Tories are honest, they don't pretend they're not priviliged.

[Graham Eardley]

At the end of the day it has to be about personalities because you can't really separate the 3 traditional parties (Lib Dem, Lab and Con). because none of them will leave the EU.
Let's face facts the Lib Dems and the Cons have got people from the same generation and who studied University as their leaders. If the poles remain as they are and during the current economic down turn it looks unlikely that they will move. So a younger and fresher face in charge with "new" ideas about social democracy will give Labour a poll boost.

That's one of the reason's Labour elected Blair and why David Miliband stands a good chance.

As for the left to parade the Who song "They could get fooled again!"

[philip]

Which member of the public likes Millibland? We are are all dying to know.
Please post your answer on the back of a 2nd Class stamp and send it to his mum.
p.s. p toynbee does not count.

[karldbur]

Brown can hand out goodies like father christmas but it will not win him the next election. The public have made their mind up on him (aided and abetted by the press) and nothing can save him. I support the Miliband 'bid'. It may not win him the next election but it will save many seats which will otherwise be lost and lets be clear the public DID like new labour and DID support its policies as 3 election wins show. Maybe with a true Blairite at the helm who has the nous to present the policies well, they may well vote them in again.....I hope so!

[missgugu]

TB & Co just don't seem to get it. It's the WAR stupid. Nothing GB does or does not do will change the fact that there will be no 4th term.

[VJB]

Miliband is sneaky, sly, shifty, underhanded, mean and tricky - all the credentials needed to follow on from Brown and Blair so he should do well leading the Labour party.

[Nabil H]

New Labour like Neo Conservatism and Military Humanism is not a natural political entity, but one created off as an offshoot of massive manufacturing of consent through tabloid like manipulations (Alistair Campbell), lawyer type persuasion rhetoric (Tony Blair), scare mongering tactics (war on terror), deceitful maneuvering and blatant breaches of trust (ends justify the means).
Its death knell evolved when Tony Blair could not hide anymore the fabric of lies that it was all built upon.
In effect New Labour hijacked Labour to achieve political supremacy, but being too personally tied to Tony Blair is now crumbling before our eyes.
Thank God we have democracy, in a dictatorship we would have suffered immeasurably...

[BlairSupporter]

If the Left (and Centre? - not sure about that!) of Labour think 'back to the future' is the way to go, they are living in cloud cuckoo land. Brown knows this as did Blair. But Brown, being the cuckoo in the nest, can't admit it to the left of his party.

As for age/maturity? Remember Blair was only 43 when he became PM - although it seems aeons ago in some ways. Miliband is not too young right now, but neither is he inspiring. Well, not to me anyway.

There's only one Blairite who can do it for Labour again. The Original. Can they ... will they?

And the $64m question? Would the Original be interested?

Fear of becoming no more than a footnote in Wikipedia might focus a few minds.

Search "Labour wiki 2050."

[Marek]

I cannot think of anything that Milliband has achieved as Foreign Secretary over the past year or, indeed, at any time as a minister.

I wish someone would explain why he should be foisted on us as prime minister.

[Kim]

Why should the Labour party appoint David Milliband as leader of the party ASAP? Because he has charm, because he looks right and he sounds right. That's all that matters. Nobody cares about policies or background in the UK - it is unimportant. At the end of the day people vote for whoever sounds and looks best. The country will never vote a Scot, a Welshman or a ginger or a baldie. Milliband could charm the knickers off a nun and is the only hope Labour have as he'll make the country forget that he isn't leader of the Tory party. David Cameron would give his silk pantaloons for a sliver of Milliband's persona - watch him work an audience, he's a natural.

Labour can either wise up, ditch any semblance of socialism and put the person in the front seat who looks most like a charming Tory, or become a ghost of an opposition. Time to chose. The country has forgotten how awful the Conservatives are and maybe it doesn't matter what Labour does now. What a waste...