David Miliband’s decision not to be a candidate for EU Foreign Minister has inspired an almost vociferous article from Daniel Finkelstein. He writes:
‘The Lisbon treaty is your work as much as anyone’s. You pushed it through and you told everyone that it really mattered. You’ve been making speeches on the importance of the new job as EU foreign minister. You’ve said it is an essential tool of influence. Yet now — now — you tell me that you don’t actually want to do it yourself.’
Clearly Miliband wants a crack at the leadership, and the thrust of Finkelstein’s argument is that Miliband isn’t up to leading the opposition.
‘One other thing you need to think about. Would you, actually, be any good as opposition leader? I hold you in high regard. We don’t always agree (I thought your stance on the Lisbon treaty was outrageous, whereas you thought mine was idiotic), but I think you bring a fierce intelligence to your work.
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