Three reasons why Labour probably (just about) ‘won’ this week

Ed Miliband’s party has ended up having a reasonably good week, even though it’s been a pretty tough battle.

Today’s front pages have not been good at all, something the party leader’s supporters are obviously disappointed by, but given the story about a comparison between the row about Lord Fink’s tax affairs and the hacking of Milly Dowler’s phone was made by an aide, not Miliband, and then reported in a way that was initially misinterpreted, the focus of the row is not Miliband himself. The line about Miliband’s own tax affairs was inevitable, too. But it depends whether anyone can find anything to continue the story.

The Conservatives have also been rather rent-a-quote-y on the reference to Milly Dowler, which is regretful: the papers would have picked up the comparison without a quote from Tory MP Mark Garnier, for instance. In some instances it is better to let a row rumble on in the press without getting involved as a party (or at least without appearing to get involved: often parties push stories from behind the scenes with the condition that no fingerprints appear on the copy leading anyone to conclude it was definitely briefed by them), lest anyone suspect you of milking the row for political gain.