Apr 12 2007
The candidate who dare not speak his name - there is no third way for Milliband
David Milliband is beginning to look silly saying he thinks Gordon Brown will make a good Prime Minister, in a way which does not rule out his own candidature once Tony Blair resigns.
It is not easy keeping open options in?? this fevered media whirlpool, when the Brownites are pressing Milliband??to be on board for them and the Blairites want him to be a candidate. His better line to keep open his candidature would be to keep saying it is not currently an issue - he will declare his position when there is a vacancy. The danger of giving 95% backing to Gordon Brown is it makes Milliband look tricky and weak, and it creates hostages to fortune which Brown will use against him should he subsequently decide to stand.
If he really believes Gordon Brown will make a good Prime Minister he should say that he will not stand against him. If he wants to say he, David Milliband, will make a better one but is not ready yet to declare his hand he should brush off media enquiries with a more neutral comment than his current patter.
If he goes on like this he could end up with a poor job or no job under Gordon. Fortune favours the brave. Patronage goes to the loyal. There is no third way.
John Redwood has been the Member of Parliament for Wokingham since 1987. First attending Kent College, Canterbury, he graduated from Magdalen College...
Miliband does seem “tricky and weak” most of the time anyway. Brown is unworthy of elevation to the office of Prime Minister. Labour has a paucity of talent on its front bench and so this circus continues. The Conservatives need to look to their own ranks also. There are too many shadow ministers who don’t seem up to the job either and Her Majesty’s Opposition is not as effective as it should be.