iSon wrote:Ed is very clever and speaks with conviction regardless of the subject matter. The trouble is, a leader he is not. Also it's not like it can be said he was the best of a bad bunch when the leadership was decided - regardless of what you thought of New Labour, David Milliband would have been a much stronger leader of the party.
Or should I say, would still make a much stronger leader of the party. His public profile has become more pronounced and he is talking about direction and strategy for the Labour party. Without doubt he is sowing the seeds should the leadership issue become a real talking point. At the moment, Ed hasn't done that much wrong but then he hasn't done that much right either. But the polls showing an anti government swing towards Labour so that will be enough for him to hold on at this stage. Labour also tend to be loyal to their leaders - bar a few outspoken critics - they're not fond of chucking them out as much as the Conservatives.
My comments were purely in relation to his role as leader.
After all, you, I and several others here are clever and speak with conviction - but that's not the only standard required for the function he's supposed to fulfil.
In recent weeks there's been a litany of terrible stories out of Coalition HQ of the kind that whould have an effective Labour leader foaming at the mouth. Selling off of the motorways, fattening of the Post Office ahead of flogging, the scandalous selling of Prime Ministerial access, the dangerous gambit of fuel stockpiling ahead of the financial year end... but when I
did hear anything from Ed, it sounded opportunist and hollow.
Conversely, I watched David Miliband on Sunday AM last weekend, and I felt more inspired to take an active interest in the Labour movement than I have for many, many months.
I certainly don't think we should go though a second Coac term to wait for Ed to lose and step down. That's a hell of a high price to pay.
There's been NO GROWTH in the UK. The fact that we've maintained low borrowing rates up until now will soon become irrelevant when we fail on our deficit reduction targets. We'll be downgraded one way or another unless we can create some jobs and get people off benefits.
After all, we don't have much left to sell.
