Cameron’s best weapon

When Ed Miliband stands up in the House of Commons, he might be surprised to hear the loudest cheers coming from the wrong side of the chamber. He is becoming an unlikely Tory champion, the man who’ll do more than anyone else to ensure that David Cameron wins an outright majority at the next general election. Labour MPs grumble, but loyalty is hardwired into their collective DNA. As Gordon Brown knew, the word ‘unity’ has a near-hypnotic effect on his party. Labour has never ejected a bad leader. Unlike the Tories, they have not mastered the art of political regicide. So Labour seems to be stuck with a leader whom its MPs are unwilling to support or supplant.

Miliband was little-known when elected.  His allies claimed he ‘spoke human’, unlike his brother David. Yet as each month passes, Mr Miliband looks more like a machine invented by Conservative head office, brilliantly programmed with bad jokes and worse judgment.