Friday, November 07, 2014
The knives are out for Ed Miliband
The Times reports that senior figures in the Labour party have claimed that leading candidates to replace Ed Miliband have opened secret negotiations on what to do should he step down:
Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, and Andy Burnham, the shadow health secretary, are said to have spoken about a post-Miliband future amid a growing revolt among Labour MPs. “It’s about presenting a joint offer to make a contest unnecessary,” one figure said, suggesting that Ms Cooper and Mr Burnham have struck a non-aggression pact as the party’s poll ratings fall.
Mr Miliband was forced yesterday to deny as “nonsense” that his leadership was in crisis. His comments came, though, after a reshuffle to shore up his authority intensified complaints from disillusioned MPs. Plotting Labour backbenchers admit that there is neither an obvious successor nor a practical mechanism to oust Mr Miliband. They hope, nevertheless, to channel what they claim is now overwhelming opposition to make his position untenable.
The Labour crisis is growing and Ed Miliband's position is looking more and more untenable.
Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, and Andy Burnham, the shadow health secretary, are said to have spoken about a post-Miliband future amid a growing revolt among Labour MPs. “It’s about presenting a joint offer to make a contest unnecessary,” one figure said, suggesting that Ms Cooper and Mr Burnham have struck a non-aggression pact as the party’s poll ratings fall.
Mr Miliband was forced yesterday to deny as “nonsense” that his leadership was in crisis. His comments came, though, after a reshuffle to shore up his authority intensified complaints from disillusioned MPs. Plotting Labour backbenchers admit that there is neither an obvious successor nor a practical mechanism to oust Mr Miliband. They hope, nevertheless, to channel what they claim is now overwhelming opposition to make his position untenable.
The Labour crisis is growing and Ed Miliband's position is looking more and more untenable.
