Whilst the new Coalition is finalising its ministers and getting down to business, the Labour Party is looking to elect a new leader. And already one front runner has emerged - David Miliband. In many ways he resembles Gordon Brown and that's not a good thing:
On several occasions so far Miliband came close to the Labour leadership but backed way from forcing his chances. In the game of musical chairs that was the Blarites' hunt to find a "stop Brown" candidate Miliband emerged as the last survivor, albeit more through the ineptitude of his rivals than any great moves by himself. But then he utterly failed to make a bid and challenge Brown when the leadership election came. He then compounded this error over the next few years by repeatedly laying the ground for a challenge but then never making it. As I've said before (
Portilliband?), Miliband has failed to press home his chances time and again, instead awaiting his leader's fall and hoping to pick up the pierces afterwards. Very much like Gordon Brown.
Of course, as I commented before, Miliband has emerged as "the Great Hope of the future despite not really having done anything or been properly tested", and that is very much the position of William Hague in 1997. And Miliband has already come to resemble Hague in another way - the disastrous moment in front of the cameras that will reappear for years to come:
Still one bad photo shouldn't kill his leadership hopes. But will people realise he could well be another Gordon Brown?
No comments:
Post a Comment