Hugo Rifkind Hugo Rifkind

How nice to hear Tories called stupid, not evil

issue 13 October 2012

The most significant bit of Ed Miliband’s speech last week (which I bet you watched in the office, from beginning to end, like I did, because that’s not weird in most jobs at all) was the bit where he called David Cameron an idiot. Did you catch it? Very stirring.

‘Have you ever seen a more incompetent, hopeless, out-of-touch, U-turning, pledge-breaking, make-it-up-as-you-go-along, back-of-the-envelope, miserable shower?’ he said. As he said it his spine straightened out of that frowning crouch he goes into sometimes, which can make him look as though he’s about to drop a poo on the stage, and he soared up onto his tiptoes. ‘Good on you, Ed Miliband,’ I thought, as the crowd went wild. ‘Bravo.’

It’s not that I agree. I mean, I do, a bit, and naggingly have done ever since the shambles over tuition fees, where they introduced a tax which they called a debt, and then were surprised when people who don’t pay tax, but do have debt, didn’t like it much.

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