Do his Brown coronation calls look like sour grapes?

One of the features that distinguishes leaders from normal politicians is their ability to seize the moment and go for it when the opportunity occurs. It is about having the courage to risk failure and take your chance however remote.

If by any chance that Gordon doesn’t get it this time then he might rue the moment after Neil Kinnock stepped down when he stood aside for John Smith. Michael Portillo might have made a similar mistake when he failed to respond to John Major’s “put up or shut up” election in 1995.

It is this thought process that must be dominating David Miliband’s mind at the moment.

Maybe the rather pathetic call this afternoon by Alan Johnson for Gordon to get it without a vote will help clear Miliband’s thinking? For Johnson had his chance, decided to wait and his comments simply look like special pleading

What a fascinating contest this is proving to be?

My money, quite a lot now, is on Miliband taking up the challenge.

There’s been a little movement in the with Gordon out to 0.29/1 and Miliband trading at about 5/1.

Mike Smithson