In And Against Both Parties

A year-long poll lead, a slight blip after the imaginary euro veto, but then the fifth by-election win in a row, as ever with a healthy swing from the Conservatives. Hundreds more councillors, with hundreds more again fully expected this year. What does Ed Miliband have to do?

The answer is that, like David Cameron, he has to be Tony Blair. That is The Rule, according to the over-mighty media who think that is their job to run the country, and according to the tiny number of client MPs whose existence those media deign to acknowledge.

If they pull off a coup against Miliband as they did against IDS, also a successful Leader and therefore a problem, then they will have managed this in and against both parties. Both will have become wholly owned subsidiaries of the Blairite media.