[new puritan]

This is good.

Miliband should have torn into the TUC, because of Unite in Falkirk. The other 53 unions in the TUC might have found that a bit odd.

Not to mention Unite being exonerated.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danho ... -ran-away/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Even the Independent is saying that Miliband 'blinked'. I really don't know what they expected him to do. Even the liberal papers can barely contain themselves wherever unions are concerned.

[Messianic Trees]

It's as we thought in 2010: Labour is still in the wilderness

The one big unforeseen negative – from David Cameron's perspective – to emerge post-2010 has, of course, been his failure to reform the boundaries. And there's no doubt that will cost him seats in 2015. But as one Tory MP explained to me, the impact is probably being overstated. "Back in 2010 we were fighting on a very wide front. We had to win over 100 seats. In 2015 we only have to win 20". He added: "The basic argument is 'if Cameron couldn't win in 2010, how can he win in 2015?' But you can invert it. In 2010 we represented a gamble in the eyes of the public, Labour had the incumbency advantages and although Gordon Brown was an unpopular prime minister, he was still prime minister. This time we're able to concentrate our resources, it's Labour that represents the risk, and you can't find a voter who thinks Ed Miliband has what it takes to work in the Downing Street canteen, never mind run the country."

Many people feel it would be miraculous for Cameron to win an overall majority at the next election. But in reality we're basically seeing politics following the trajectory that was mapped out in 2010. Back then I agreed with those who thought it would take Labour at least two terms to return to office. I’m not seeing anything at the moment to make me change my mind.

[Tubby Isaacs]

More real Labour, working class politics in that article!

[Jollity]

I think Dan Hodges is contemplating the Lib Dems.

Just contemplating, mind. Obviously not about to rush anywhere.

[The Weeping Angel]

Usual crap about Milliband

http://www.totalpolitics.com/opinion/41 ... tent.thtml" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[The Red Arrow]

Sunday, 22 September 2013
Hodges Whinges On

http://zelo-street.blogspot.co.uk/2013/ ... es-on.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[youngian]

I can see Desperate Dan taking the Mad Mel blog route and 'exploring new opportunites' as the work drys up.

[Messianic Trees]

Awkward Ed has now become Terrifying Ed

Ed Miliband is starting to frighten people. Until recently he was regarded as someone a bit geeky, awkward and out of his depth; a fairly harmless, if misguided, creature. But not now.

First there was Syria. Whatever the rights and wrongs of Labour's final position on military intervention, the way Miliband shifted and parsed on a matter of war and peace alarmed many who witnessed it.

Then, on Tuesday, came Miliband's conference speech. The commitment to freeze energy prices immediately raised the prospect of power cuts. The right-to-grow policy was described as "Marxist" and "a Mugabe-style land grab". So suddenly, having arrived in Brighton struggling to distance himself from Gordon Brown and his failed government, Miliband found himself having to distance himself from Harold Wilson and the failed Labour governments of the Seventies.

Tory campaign chiefs arrived for a strategy meeting yesterday morning to be greeted by Craig Oliver, the PM's press chief, holding up a copy of the City AM newspaper, with the headline "Labour declares war on business". "When the dust settles, people will realise Miliband's done us a huge favour," said one Tory.

Miliband, however, thinks the opposite. He genuinely believes that matching his bold pledge earlier in the week to "bring back socialism" with equally bold deeds opens the route to power. And that is terrifying.

[The Red Arrow]

Aw, diddums.

[youngian]

Ed Miliband is starting to frighten people.

What people, Dan's paymasters? I hope so but I doubt it.

For ex-members that Labour love to hate, Hodges really has gone for the full David Owen. Or a 21st century Woodrow Wyatt.

[mojojojo]

Then, on Tuesday, came Miliband's conference speech. The commitment to freeze energy prices immediately raised the prospect of power cuts. The right-to-grow policy was described as "Marxist" and "a Mugabe-style land grab". So suddenly, having arrived in Brighton struggling to distance himself from Gordon Brown and his failed government, Miliband found himself having to distance himself from Harold Wilson and the failed Labour governments of the Seventies.

Described by who? By Tories and your colleagues, no one else.

[mattomac]

Odd how he quotes city Am, a guy I follow on twitter works in the City and his view and those of his colleagues were somewhat different to what Hodges suggests.

Problem for the Tories is they need to win seats outside the City....

[Tubby Isaacs]

Anyone got any idea what this is?

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danho ... -accident/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Apparently Miliband's cynically going for 35%, but if this policy is popular, it's an accident.

[satnav]

What is this bit of twaddle about?

Those Conservatives worried that David Cameron and his team aren’t taking Ed Miliband seriously won’t be making that criticism come polling day 2015. By then Miliband will be the proud owner of a new kitchen sink courtesy of Tory central office. And unlike in 1997, Labour will not simply be able to laugh the attacks off.

So Cameron is not going to campaign on the back of his success in office or on a raft of new policies he's simply going to attack the opposition.

[The Weeping Angel]

In short when Blair did things like the windfall tax it was because he did clearly defined Labour as being on the centre whereas Milliband hasn't

as he explains

This is what the current collective of Labour flat-earthers fail to understand. Centrist politics does not involve ditching every Left-wing policy. If you did, you wouldn’t be offering a centrist prospectus. You’d be offering a hard-Right prospectus.