Ed’s 3 choices

I’m always wary of taking stories about Labour in the Mail at face value, but today there’s one that can’t be ignored – as Labour MPs now appear to be openly critical of Miliband’s leadership. Here are some quotes from Labour MPs in the Mail today (underlining is my own and for emphasis):

Graham Stringer:

“I don’t think on issues such as race we should look as hypocritical or as incompetent as Liverpool FC has done in the Luis Suarez case. Ed has got to get a grip and turn it around before the May elections.“

Meg Munn:

“Ed is not finished but he needs to be out there setting out some clear policies and strategies about where we go from here.”

Roger Godsiff:

“We need fresh thinking and to break with the old order economically. And we must do it with people who are credible with the electorate.”

Neither of these statements (taken at face value) are particularly controversial – the same has been said by Labour activists numerous times on LabourList and elsewhere – but it’s unlikely that Labour MPs talking to the most anti-Labour paper around in a week where Ed Miliband has been having difficulties won’t have seen how their remarks will be interpreted.

In response to this open discontent, Ed Miliband has three choices:

1. Call those MPs who are openly critical of his leadership in and tell them that such comments are not acceptable.

2. Call those MPs who are openly critical of his leadership in and assure them that he has a plan to turn things around.

3. Do nothing.

Both 1 and 2 are both perfectly reasonable responses – it is up to Miliband and his team to decide which is more appropriate. But 3 just isn’t an option, and it’d make Ed look weak in the face of criticism from his own side.