Last Thursday's "re-launch" attempt by +Labour Party Leader +Ed Miliband seemed more like a rearrangement of the Deck Chairs on the Titanic.
The content of the speech - inequality in British society, was a re-hash of his past speeches. It did little to convince anyone that Ed has the confidence of Labour's MP's. Questions still remain about whether the Shadow cabinet view him as the right man to lead Labour in the upcoming General Election. The reason for this is that prior to the speech, polls showed his personal popularity as having reached a new low, becoming the most unpopular leader since poll records began.
I said in a previous article (see link below) that nothing but a bold move, would be able to arrest the toxic effect this uncertainty about Ed is having on the party's chances at the general election.
He should have used last Thursday's "re-launch:" to acknowledge the toxic effect the speculation regarding his leadership is having on Labour. He should have set out a short vision as to why he believed he should remain the leader. He could then have indicated that he believed that the whispering and speculation within the party about his leadership needed to be brought to and end for once and for all.
He should have demanded that if there was someone else who wished to challenge him for the party leadership now, it was time for those people to stand up and say so, and to that end, he had decided it was in Labour's best interests for him to grant any challengers an opportunity to put up or shut up. And then he should have announced his resignation as Leader, in order to permit him to contest the leadership of the party against any challengers. Then, after announcing that he is looking forward to the contest for the leadership, he should have walked out of the hall.
This would have been a dramatic, and admittedly high risk move. But well handled, it would have forced the hands of those within the Party involved in the whispering campaign against Miliband. They would have been forced to decide whether to put up a candidate for the leadership of the party or not.
If another candidate stepped forward and won the leadership, Ed would have been seen as having made a brave sacrifice in the party's best interests. Alternatively, if Ed won against a contender, it would end the speculation. Yes, was a risk of a narrow win, and that could also have been divisive, but nothing as damaging the rumours presently doing the rounds. (Hence Ed's polls at an all time low).
If Labour spokespersons are correct that they are behind Ed, no contender would have taken up the challenge. The senior Labour leadership could then have recalled Ed to accept the leadership of the party at a public gathering, which would indeed have been a re-launch.. For Ed, and for Labour's campaign. Calling for a leadership vote would have been seen as a brave, unselfish move which could have done Ed's image as leader no end of good.
Unfortunately nothing like this occurred. This leaves Ed and his party's spokespersons in the untenable position of having to deny the rumours of his alleged unpopularity within the party or having to deflect them with the ..."Yes, but the real issue at this election will be " arguments.
But we all know, the real issue will remain whether any party can win a General Election if the public don't view it leader as being of prime-ministerial calibre, not to mention if the public also doubt whether his own party views him in that light.
http://www.westminsteradvisers.co.uk/2014/11/eds-not-dead-and-the-labour-party-rulebook-will-help-him-stay-that-way/
As far as Labour's rules are concerned, the fact that Labour's rules protect Ed does not mean he that he ought to use them as a shield. He can jettison the protection he is afforded in the best interests of the party. It matters not that no challenge is likely. It's the fact that talk of challenges and of a lack of loyalty amongst the parliamentary party (not to mention a whispering campaign) is undermining his already tenuous position now.
S G Walther 18 November 2014
http://siegfriedwalther.blogspot.com/2014/11/uncertainty-about-ed-milibands.html
#Labourleadership
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