What's that I hear? The sound of a consensus cracking?
Since 4.50pm on Satuday 25 September 2010, commentators on the right and on
the so-called "centre" of the political spectrum have queued up to
dismiss Ed Miliband as a lightweight, a cipher, a left-wing loon, "Red
Ed", who would consign Labour to electoral oblivion in 2015 and beyond.
They collectively mourned his brother David's narrow defeat.
By choosing Ed Miliband, Labour has handed David Cameron the next
election," read the headline
to Matthew D'Ancona's column in the Sunday Telegraph the next day.
On Saturday, David Cameron won the next general election,"
declared D'Ancona in his opening line, adding: "Could it really have
chosen the wrong Miliband? Yes, it could."
"Will Labour be dead with Red Ed?" read the headline
to Martin Ivens's column in the Sunday Times, also on 26
September.
"In No 10 last week some were looking forward to an Ed victory for the
least flattering of reasons," wrote Ivens. "'There will be rejoicing
in Tory towns all over the country if Ed wins,' a top Conservative strategist
told me."
"The party voted for David Miliband but got the Panda instead,"
read the headline
to John Rentoul's column in the Independent on Sunday.
"Ed Miliband, who would have struggled against David Cameron in the
House of Commons in any event, is going to be roasted every week," argued
Rentoul, an ardent Blairite, adding: "I fear that he fights with both
hands tied behind his back."
Now, however, more than a year and a half later, following a shambolic
budget from George Osborne and impressive gains for Labour in the local
elections, those same commentators (and others)
have changed their tune and are queuing up to warn against the new and looming
threat posed by the Labour leader.
Here's D'Ancona in
yesterday's Sunday Telegraph:
It is time to start thinking seriously about Prime Minister Miliband – to
roll those words around your mouth. Whatever response the 42-year-old Labour
leader provokes within you – and he has always inspired a broad range of
reaction – only a fool would ignore his party’s steady progress in the local
elections and commanding lead in the opinion polls (15 points ahead of the
Tories in the last two YouGov surveys). The cement of popular opinion has not
yet set in Miliband’s favour. But let us be objective: after two months of
Coalition “omnishambles”, one has to consider that it might yet do so.
To be fair to D'Ancona, the former Spectator editor also added:
When the younger Miliband defeated his brother for the Labour leadership in
September 2010 by a tiny twist of the DNA helix, many – including the present
writer – thought he lacked the bearing of a future PM. But it must be conceded
that he is learning, and fast.
Here's Martin Ivens in yesterday's
Sunday
Times:
[O]ne May morning in 2015 we could wake up with Ed Miliband as prime
minister — even if there are no cheering crowds to greet the dawn with him as
they did Tony Blair. Apathy, despair over a miserable economic outlook and a
low turnout could return Labour to office...
The headline of the column?
How Miliband could make it to No 10
Meanwhile, in yesterday's
Independent
on Sunday, John Rentoul, through gritted teeth, acknowledged
how
Cameron has allowed Ed Miliband to re-forge the coalition of the Blairites
and Brownites. Peter Mandelson co-authored an article on the economy with Ed
Balls, and Andrew Adonis returned to the fold to review Labour's industrial
policy.
The political consensus has been well and truly cracked. The pack is on the
move. Finally. It's taken a while but they seem to have got there in the end.
"Having spent the past six months studying him for our book, I have one
piece of advice for Ed Miliband's conservative critics: don't misunderestimate
him," I wrote in a column in the Guardian
back in June 2011.
Those were the days when I got knocked by the right for daring to write such
pieces. So, Matthew, Martin, John - great to have you onboard!
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