David Miliband - what's his game plan?

[Jim Shoulder]

So he supports the re-election of a Brown government. Does he actually have any ambition or is he playing a yet-unrevealed, clever, long game? He's been given plenty of opportunity to step up to the plate. My (uninformed) guess is that he's too young and inexperienced to canvass and garner the support of others to support him in a bid for the top.

[AndrewW-G]

Given the poisoned chalice that the winner of the 2010 election will be forced to embrace, I cant see anybody apart from winky or the Conservatives wanting to win, if I were a career politician looking to take over the leadership of a political party, I'd be looking to win 2014/5 by which time we may be getting near being back on track

[Iain328]

Jim Shoulder said:

So he supports the re-election of a Brown government. Does he actually have any ambition or is he playing a yet-unrevealed, clever, long game? He's been given plenty of opportunity to step up to the plate. My (uninformed) guess is that he's too young and inexperienced to canvass and garner the support of others to support him in a bid for the top.

He'll only enter the game when he thinks he can win. Stakes are currently far too high for spineless ter-wats like him.

He doesn't have the courage of someone like say Heseltine (love him or hate him!) who was prepared to say what he thought and risk his career for what he believed was right.

Milliband is too spineless to take thing head on - he wants to be "annointed" in due course. That in itself makes him the worst kind of scheming conniving politician!! (IMHO )

[glazbagun]

Iain328 said:

Milliband is too spineless to take thing head on - he wants to be "annointed" in due course. That in itself makes him the worst kind of scheming conniving politician!! (IMHO )

My view, too. Brown will never hold on as leader of the opposition, so Milliband can stroll in as UK PLC is at it's worst moment, in opposition, and bleat about Tory cuts, not doing enough to secure jobs, etc... in time for 2014.

[Bill Carr]

glazbagun said:

Iain328 said:

Milliband is too spineless to take thing head on - he wants to be "annointed" in due course. That in itself makes him the worst kind of scheming conniving politician!! (IMHO )

My view, too. Brown will never hold on as leader of the opposition, so Milliband can stroll in as UK PLC is at it's worst moment, in opposition, and bleat about Tory cuts, not doing enough to secure jobs, etc... in time for 2014.

+1

He realises he's probably seen as the heir-apparent, and is in no rush. Winky seems to be holding-on resolutely (or is being kept there by Mandelson as a sacrificial lamb...) and will no doubt be held responsible if/when Labour fail at the polls. Whereupon he'll step-down gracefully and be rewarded with some cush job.

[10 Pence Short]

Miliband wants the job when Brown is ousted after the election loss. There's no point in being the leader now and being tainted with a lost election 5 months in.

That's why all the coups keep failing. Well, that and the fact that every possible candidate is a born loser, anyway.