Ed Milliband... on his way out?

[Scoffers]

Labour will win the next election and Ed Miliband will be the leader. I reckon Ed's going to surpirse many.

A bit hard to do when he's been given the chop

 

[glasfryn]

I can't recall any situation like this: the briefings in the papers, the anonymous well-placed sources, the whisperings anyone would think the Labour Party was at death's door.

And yet, the Labour Party is riding between 8 to 10 points clear in the polls - all of the time while the government has been going through a honeymoon period. The Coalition is now in a bit of a mess, with clear fractures between the Conservatives and the LibDems and yet, what dominates the political agenda? The future of the bloke who's romping ahead in the opinion polls.

Never underestimate the power of the Tory press to roll out an agenda to suit it.

spot on mate
the government and being made a laughing stock and I think labour can wait until they make such a balls up and ride in on the crest of a wave
Brown got one thing wrong he should have nationalized the banks when he had the chance
it was undoubtedly the banks that got him in such a mess and they are going the same way with this inept lot

 

[seagulls4ever]

A bit hard to do when he's been given the chop

He won't be given 'the chop'.

 

[Don Quixote]

Get Douglas Alexander, that is what I say.

 

[8ace]

Rumour has it they are after Caroline Lucas...

 

[fleet]

They picked the wrong brother and have let Dave have a free run. Biggest cuts ever and he is still popular - good work Ed!

 

[Titanic]

E & D Milliband and Ed Bollx.... all damaged goods from their complicity in the appalling Brown government.

They need to find someone not tarred with the Brown brush, but not too soon. There is no hurry... about 18 months before the next election would be about right.

 

[Waynflete]

Would be the preferred candidate of the men in grey suits. Big personality, big intellect and not frightened of a scrap. But too closely associated to the Brown administration.
The modernisers are tapping up his wife, to see if she would throw her hat into the ring, supported by EB. They see it as dream ticket. A kind of Richard and Judy, if you will.

My source is v well placed. Next Labour leader - E Cooper...?

Presume you mean Y. Cooper? If so, good shout... wonder how husband Ed would feel about that?

More generally, it's not so surprising that Miliband has had such a low profile, because the press and public has plenty to entertain it with the coalition and the Tory-LibDem relationship. Previously, Labour in opposition has been the second most interesting party, but now for the moment it's only the third most interesting party. So unless Miliband does something quite spectacular (good or bad) he's not going to get much attention.

 

[Triggaaar]

Any level headed person would acknowledge that there was a world recession which began in the U.S. Hey, Brown didn't help the situation at all, but we'd have had economic problems either way.

We all know there was a world recession and regardless of who was in power, we'd have joined the recession. But that's not the problem with Labour. During the boom years before the recession Labour didn't just spend the surplus we were earning, they spent even more and kept increasing our national debt. That is unforgivably poor, and that is why our country is in such a mess now.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

I can't recall any situation like this: the briefings in the papers, the anonymous well-placed sources, the whisperings anyone would think the Labour Party was at death's door.

And yet, the Labour Party is riding between 8 to 10 points clear in the polls - all of the time while the government has been going through a honeymoon period. The Coalition is now in a bit of a mess, with clear fractures between the Conservatives and the LibDems and yet, what dominates the political agenda? The future of the bloke who's romping ahead in the opinion polls.

Never underestimate the power of the Tory press to roll out an agenda to suit it.

Oh come on.

Blunkett, Balls and maybe even his brother show signs of undermining him. His gaff of missing the open goal of Cameron's backtracking on NHS and penal reform made him look like a student polician. If Ed was any good, he wouldn't be making the news. Also, while Labour maybe ahead, Ed's personal rating were dire last time I looked.

The unions got thier man. Shame he is next to useless. I've only ever voted Labour. Ed makes me want to vote Monster raving looney.

 

[Hatterlovesbrighton]

Problem with Labour is that virtually all of the shadow cabinet were involved in the last administration. No new blood there. The best thing that could be said about Ed Milliband is that he isn't Ed Balls.

Labour are 5 points ahead in the poll of polls. Mid-term and with the coalition making huge cuts, that should be double figures.

 

[Kumquat]

Oh come on.

Blunkett, Balls and maybe even his brother show signs of undermining him. His gaff of missing the open goal of Cameron's backtracking on NHS and penal reform made him look like a student polician. If Ed was any good, he wouldn't be making the news. Also, while Labour maybe ahead, Ed's personal rating were dire last time I looked.

The unions got thier man. Shame he is next to useless. I've only ever voted Labour. Ed makes me want to vote Monster raving looney.

Spot on in my book. I said the day he got in that he would be out of his depth and that was based on comments from people who have worked with him. He is incapable of making decisions and the talk of a new vision and having his own blueprint was all bravado. He simply hasn't got the ability to deliver. His brother is head and shoulders above him as a politician and a thinker. You ask any civil servant who has worked with David Miliband and they will tell you. He's got vision and the ability to deliver. Ed Balls would last five minutes.

 

[Hatterlovesbrighton]

Oh come on.

Blunkett, Balls and maybe even his brother show signs of undermining him. His gaff of missing the open goal of Cameron's backtracking on NHS and penal reform made him look like a student polician. If Ed was any good, he wouldn't be making the news. Also, while Labour maybe ahead, Ed's personal rating were dire last time I looked.

The unions got thier man. Shame he is next to useless. I've only ever voted Labour. Ed makes me want to vote Monster raving looney.

The situation with his brother is really bad now. Apparently he didn't go to Ed's wedding reception! Even if David does come back to the shadow cabinet then there will always be rumours and talk about them. Has potential to be more damaging than Blair v Brown.

On a more general question, why is it that the left of politics tend to be more split than the right?

 

[simmo]

I can't recall any situation like this: the briefings in the papers, the anonymous well-placed sources, the whisperings anyone would think the Labour Party was at death's door.

And yet, the Labour Party is riding between 8 to 10 points clear in the polls - all of the time while the government has been going through a honeymoon period. The Coalition is now in a bit of a mess, with clear fractures between the Conservatives and the LibDems and yet, what dominates the political agenda? The future of the bloke who's romping ahead in the opinion polls.

Never underestimate the power of the Tory press to roll out an agenda to suit it.

I can, when Michael Howard took over from Ian Duncan Smith, continuous criticisms of IDS performances and when Howard took over it was a coup de grace, with everyone backing Howard immediately as leader i.e there had been a stitch up behind IDS' back.

It is a bit rich talking about coalition splits coming from any Labour supporter whom had the Blair/Brown axis causing fissures in the party that still so obviously exists today. Is X a Brownite or Y a Blairite is almost a continuos phrase used when discussing the merits of a potential canididate, the impact of this is going to effect Labour for years, probably well beyond the next election.

The Tory press, jeez, have I gone back to the 1990's? Does anyone read newspapers any more? By far the biggest medium that people get the news from in the UK is via the internet reading multiple sources of news and primaririly the BBC, the national broadcaster and that continuosly, in my opinion tells us every day about cuts, cuts, cuts. What is their agenda? they barely ever say why they are necessary, because of the incredibly unenviable financial (many would say dire) position that the present administration inherited (the defecit is there whether you, Ed Milliband or Ed Balls likes it or not and when the Tories/Libs took over it was £165BN and it has to be dealt with).

Watching the BBC news and listening to something like the Today programme cuts is all the BBC seems to go on about and yet barely mentions that the IMF (an international, independent and non political economic entity) thinks that the government is on the right track, trying to get the financial position of this country back on a sound footing.

BBC News - IMF says no changes are needed to UK economic policy

 

[Gangsta]

Ed Milliband looks like glove puppet and talks like an alien. I'd still rather vote for him than Ed Balls, but these days appearances are everything.

 

[BLOCK F]

Heard a whisper from a well placed source today that Labour grandees and senior union barons have given Ed till Conference to get his act together.

If he's still punching below his weight come the autumn he'll be asked to step aside, citing personal reasons...

No word yet who's in line for the job though.

Wouldn't be at all surprised by this.
Neither am I surprised by the same old crap spouted by the Labour apologists on this board!No great admirer of the present administation either.They have made some bloody awful decisions in the last year!
Shame Screaming Lord Sutch passed away!

 

[Westdene Seagull]

On a more general question, why is it that the left of politics tend to be more split than the right?

I don't they are - try mentioning Europe to the Tories and watch the splits develop. At the moment the Tories don't need to discuss Europe because people are focused on the recession. When the financial outlook gets better both here and on the continent the EU will start flexing it's muscles again and it's then that the Tories will start to split ( it will be even more difficult for them if they're still in government with the Lib Dems ! ).

 

[Silent Bob]

We all know there was a world recession and regardless of who was in power, we'd have joined the recession. But that's not the problem with Labour. During the boom years before the recession Labour didn't just spend the surplus we were earning, they spent even more and kept increasing our national debt. That is unforgivably poor, and that is why our country is in such a mess now.

Labour reduced the national debt between 97 and 07 and it remains at historically mediocre levels.

 

[Dave the OAP]

Nah, they'd have sorted it out by now, the only reason we're still in debt is that the tories have made too many cuts and stopped the economy growing.

you don't seriously believe that do you?

 

[dingodan]

New Villa manager. To be announced later today.

You heard it here first.