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  1. Spotlight on Policy
  2. Elections
14 May 2010updated 12 Oct 2023 10:15am

It’s Miliband v Miliband

Ed Miliband now certain to run for the leadership.

By George Eaton

The Sun reports that Ed Miliband is certain to stand against his brother for the Labour leadership. It looks like the pair have decided that a Granita-style pact would create more problems than it solves.

They are almost certainly right. Much of the angst of the New Labour years could have been avoided if Gordon Brown had simply been beaten by Tony Blair (and possibly John Prescott) in an open and democratic leadership election.

The media will be determined to portray this as a left v right contest, but the reality is far more complex. David Miliband, as Charlie Falconer reminded us on last night’s Question Time (where he was joined by our own Mehdi Hasan), does not consider himself as a Blairite.

Many know that David served as head of the No 10 policy unit during the Blair years, far fewer that he left because he was considered insufficiently reformist. His commitment to social justice should not be doubted: in an interview with the NS editor, Jason Cowley, he memorably spoke of the “red thread” that should run through both domestic and foreign policy.

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Yet Ed remains a more unambiguously left-wing figure, at ease with the party’s history and traditions in a way few others are. He is also exceptionally popular with the grass roots of the party, as evidenced by the creation of an unofficial site urging him to stand. With the thoughtful Jon Cruddas also expected to enter the race shortly, this promises to be a fascinating contest.

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Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com Our Thursday ideas newsletter, delving into philosophy, criticism, and intellectual history. The best way to sign up for The Salvo is via thesalvo.substack.com Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates. Weekly analysis of the shift to a new economy from the New Statesman's Spotlight on Policy team. The best way to sign up for The Green Transition is via spotlightonpolicy.substack.com
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