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3 reasons why Ed Miliband is right to be keeping quiet this week

September 5, 2012 11:32 am

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Mark Ferguson

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Normally I get annoyed when Ed Miliband stays quiet and allows the Ed-Mili vacuum to open up. I’ve said that spending time out of the political limelight allows the space to be “filled with all sorts of political detritus”. And although many argue – plausibly – that Ed Miliband’s leadership ratings are a problem, and even potentially a hypothetical “drag” on Labour’s poll lead, it also seems to be the case that when Ed goes AWOL, the Tories get a boost in the polls.

That’s what has started to happen this week. All of the talk is about the reshuffle, and Ed Miliband is nowhere to be seen (until PMQs this afternoon of course, and a major interview which comes out later today/tomorrow), and I’ve had several people ask me where on earth Ed is.

And that’s a good question., but on this occasion, I think he’s right to be quiet. Here’s why:

When your opposition are killing each other, get out of the way. The reshuffle won’t keep everyone happy. In time it may prove to be a reshuffle which has kept no-one happy. It’s a rightwards lurch that has given some troubling people promotions, but at the same time hasn’t provided enough “red meat” for the Tory Right, who by now have a taste for blood. Meanwhile, Lib Dems are beginning to openly muse over whether this reshuffle proves that the coalition isn’t working. The reshuffle will causes spats aplenty, and Ed Miliband is right to stay above that fray, which leads me to…

Never shoot down, as Richard Nixon famously said. Ed Miliband could have gone on the warpath over the unsuitability of Hunt – for example – but that would be beneath a future Prime Minister (except perhaps in the knockabout of PMQs). Leave that to those whose job it is to attack the opposition, and make sure Ed does what he’s yet to do – set out an alternative governing vision.

We’ve in the political twilight zone. We’re currently sandwiched between silly season and conference season, with parliament returning for a matter of weeks before politicians decamp to various different parts of the country to applaud each other. The paralympics are still going on. Nothing of note is likely to happen in the next few weeks – so keeping the powder dry, riding out the Tory conference poll surge and focussing on his conference speech should be Miliband’s priorities. Because that speech really needs to establish him in the country at large – that’s the only task that’s important for the next few weeks.

And besides, it’s PMQs today – and Ed has plenty to go on…

Ironknee

If it were only this week I wouldn’t mind, but all summer? And where are the rest of the front bench? Has everyone gone away?
AlanGiles

No he really doesn’t need to say much, especially while the squabbles between Cameron and Johnson continue. Cameron’s spokesperson has refused to rule out a third runway at Heathrow, according to the Radio 4 news summary, which is not what they said at the last election, when they were the only party to catagorically rule it out.
- Hamish Dewar
  
  So perhaps Ed should say where Labour now stands on the third runway.
ColinAdkins

I agree. I think this reshuffle may ‘unbundle’ much like Osborne’s Budget. That was a slowburner and was more damaging for it. The reshuffle was an attempt at one for all factions and will end up pleasing none of them. Meanwhile others will either be smarting at the their attempted removal (Duncan-Smith) or angry at their removal (Warsi). Further the new intake will now realise who are the ‘annoited ones’ and unless someone is found doing something wrong this is the Cabinet which will lead into the next election so they might just as well become troublesome.
rekrab

Bingo! Ed reminds Cameron he’s been the PM for 2 and 1/2 years! say’s it all really!!!!!!!!!!
http://twitter.com/garypepworth Gary Pepworth

The trouble with this analysis is that it assumes that all it needs is for the Tories or the Coalition to self destruct and that voters will troop back to Labour. This is akin to the ‘one more heave’ approach after every lost election until 97.

I find it a bit strange that Ed Miliband had nothing to say yesterday on the reshuffle nor the English GCSE fiasco, yet found the passing of Bob Holness worthy of comment. It doesn’t come across as very joined up.
- John_Dore
  
  Its a bit poor really. Every opportunity to frame and reinforce the Omnishambles message using free media airtime must be taken.
  
  The risk is come 2015 nobody will know who he is. Its just too quiet. Ed Balls has been silent for 8 months or so, with the exception of when ‘atchet Osborne tried to frame him.
  
  Come on Ed wake up and stick the boot in.
AlanGiles

To be fair, Labour was committed to a third runway at Heathrow up to the 2010 election – indeed, one of the leading lights in the third runway pressure group was none other than Clive Soley, formerly one of Blair’s most unctuous loyalists.

I imagine it is still policy (until Jon Cruddas and friends tell us otherwise).

Speaking for myself, I am against a third runway, but equally against Johnson’s daft Thames Island idea.
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Homfray/510980099 Mike Homfray
  
  No – Ed was always against it personally and nearly resigned his post in consequence. One of the first things he did after becoming leader was making it clear that its no longer Labour policy
http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Homfray/510980099 Mike Homfray

I tend to be on the opposite side of this argument – I’m very much a one for letting them bury themselves. I think we will speak out when ready but lets not promise what we can’t deliver three years from an election, particularly when the governing parties (the three Tory parties and the two in the Fibs) clearly hate each other so much
Brumanuensis

As Napoleon once said:

“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake”.
Mickelmas

Coalition dithering and incompetence may well increase voter scepticism but elections are only won increased voter support. Unfortunately, Ed Miliband has done little to convince voters to support him and Labour. It may be a reflection of the decreasing ‘loyalty vote’ that political parties have assumed in the past. It is definitely an issue of voter confidence. I believe that most of the electorate do not think Ed would be a good PM.
This is not because his policies are poor but because his delivery is poor. Everything about his public performances is usually pathetic and weak. Would anyone ‘buy a policy’ from him?
If Labour are to win in 2015 they need to have someone at the helm who is dynamic, charismatic and skillful in oratory. Ed is none of these. Sir Patrick Stewart has volunteered to coach Ed in the art of public speaking. For goodness sake, Ed, accept the offer!

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