What is David Miliband up to now? – Media and Blog round up: March 14th 2013

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What is David Miliband up to now?

“I can speak about what I think about the welfare Bill in Parliament, which I did, but I can also try to make a difference on the ground. So much of politics is people saying yada yada, but what’s it actually going to mean? Testing out what it really means with this youngster who has got this learning difficulty, which explains why he got kicked out of school and now he’s fallen in with the wrong crowd, but he’s trying to turn himself around but he can’t get on to an apprenticeship because he’s too old, he’s now 22, not 19 — that’s real life.It sounds a bit like a soundbite,” he adds, unable to help his politician’s reflex “but ‘front line not front bench’ does sum it up.” – The Times(£)

Cameron’s backbenchers lining up four different leadership plots

“The dinner in a smart Westminster house in the shadow of the House of Lords brought together some of Margaret Thatcher’s most devoted supporters. The mood of the Tory MPs in the No Turning Back group, set up to keep the Thatcherite flame burning, was bloody and fractious after the party trailed behind Ukip in the Eastleigh by-election. The discussions over tomato soup and smoked halibut two weeks ago were dominated by criticism of David Cameron’s leadership.  The diners shared the view of an increasing number of senior ministers that the Coalition is a mistake — and that David Cameron, far from being an asset, is the reason that the party’s support slumped at the weekend to a new low of 27 points, with only seven per cent of Tory supporters believing they can win the election.” – Daily Mail

Other highlights

• The feeling grows that David Cameron is a leader with nothing left to say – Rafael Behr, New Statesman
• The New Pope is a hardliner (on the Falklands at least) – Mirror
• The Left must listen – the Falkland Islanders have spoken – Left Foot Forward