No one would begrudge Ed Miliband the plaudits for his fine first performance at PMQs. He has made a good start and seemed to take David Cameron by surprise. The Labour leader has a small, under-resourced team, which has been devoted much of the last week to preparing him for the task of his first confrontation with the Prime MInister. This is simply not sustainable. The weekly duel, terrifying though it may be, cannot come to dominate his thinking – however good he comes to be at it, He should always bear in mind the figure of William Hague, whose Labour mirror-image he risks becoming.
It has become a tiresome platitude, reinforced by New Labour rhetoric, that political parties must occupy the political centre ground in order to win elections in the UK.
However, it is certainly the case that successful politicians need to be in touch with the public mood.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in