Is Miliband going to do it or not?

If the young environment secretary wants a good example of the dangers of not taking leadership chances when they occur he need look no further than Gordon Brown himself.

For one of the clear messages to come out of yesterday’s marathon showing of the 1992 general election results programme was the powerful position that Gordon had in the immediate aftermath of Labour’s defeat. The eventual replacement for Kinnock, John Smith, was being blamed for his pre-election “budget” and the potential leader that was being talked about was Brown.

It was not to be and after the sad death of John Smith two years later the party’s attention had turned to another blue eyed boy – Tony Blair.

Now, with a leadership election once again in the offing there’s just a hint that Gordon’s bid might unravel. The polls and the growing media hostility to Brown could just persuade David Miliband to go for it.

The careful wording of his denials have just left enough wiggle room should he decide to go for it in the aftermath of Labour’s likely losses on May 3rd.

Is he going to do it? I think he just might. Would he beat Brown? A lot depends on the media and the polls. Is he worth the current 6/1? Just about.

Mike Smithson