Where David Miliband is to the left of Ed
I blogged this morning about media attempts to paint Ed Miliband as a frothing Benn-Trotsky-Bob Crow hybrid – in contrast to his more Blairite brother.
Friends of Mili-E point out that he has never come out in support of David’s “mansion tax”, which would clobber people living in big homes. Nor has he support his elder brother’s policy to raise taxes on private schools. Miaow. Read more
David Cameron must make sure athletes attend the Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games are in crisis and New Delhi wants to know where its friends are. If he wants to show real commitment to the “new special relationship” with India, David Cameron must make sure the English athletics squad turns up all present and correct, with big smiles on their faces. The Scottish team has already announced that it is delaying the departure of its 41 squad members, citing ongoing health and security fears over conditions in the athletes’ village. Now the Welsh have raised the stakes, giving the Delhi organising committee until five o’clock British time this afternoon to provide reassurances – saying that otherwise they might not travel. English officials have said the situation is “on a knife-edge”. Read more
Tabloids salivate at prospect of “Red Ed” in charge
It was only yesterday that a senior tabloid political commentator was telling me how he couldn’t wait for Ed Miliband to win the Labour leadership election. “David would be a disappointment from our point of view,” he said.
His argument was as follows: Not only would Mili-E be easy to caricature as “Red Ed”, slave to the unions and champion of unreconstructed lefty-ism. It would also be a human story of the less experienced younger brother committing fratricide against Britain’s level-headed former foreign secretary. And lastly he would – the theory went – not necessarily have the majority support of his own MPs.
(Kevin Maguire at the Mirror has also made the latter point on his blog). Read more
Further reading
Vince Cable aims his fire on the City – FT
Labour’s humiliating shadow cabinet race - FT
Exclusive: Funding for university teaching could be slashed by 75 per cent to protect research budgets – Chris Cook, FT
Lord Ashcroft quietly lobbies world governments against commercial whaling – Daily Mail
National Audit Office to get powers to probe BBC after all - FT
Exclusive: Will housing benefit changes force 82,000 households out of central London? – FT
Labour level with Tories in latest poll - PA
David Miliband’s difficult decisions over treatment of terrorist suspects overseas – Guardian front page
Coalition pressing ahead with plans for 200 primaries – FT Notebook
Vince still bookies’ favourite to leave coalition first – PoliticalBetting Read more
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Jim Pickard is the FT's chief political correspondent, having joined the lobby team in January 2008. He has been at the FT since 1999 as a regional correspondent, assistant UK news editor and property correspondent.
Kiran Stacey is an FT political correspondent, having joined the lobby in 2011. He started at the FT as a graduate trainee in 2008, working on desks including UK companies and US equity markets before taking over the FT's Energy Source blog.
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