Jeff Randall on 2011 Budget

Between 2000 and 2010, there was a 53 per cent rise in real-terms government expenditure, but GDP went up by only 17 per cent. Jeff Randall clearly explains Labour's deficit overspend in terms that Greek, Irish and Portguese voters will understand.

Ed Miliband preaches the virtues of the "British promise", an unwritten pledge that "each generation will pass to the next a life of greater opportunity, prosperity and wellbeing". Explain to me how this can be achieved if we allow tomorrow's debts to soar so that today's benefits can be funded on tick. There is only one answer - denial.

Ednostic therapy

Vacuous was the term that came to mind at Ed Miliband's performance this week, both at Labour's National Policy Forum in Gillingham and his attempted promotion in the media, but the description Ednostic - used by Observer journalist Rafael Behr - will do. Matthew d'Ancona describes him less charitably as Gordon Brown 2.0

Why would anyone think this guy was a reformer? Ed Miliband is neither compelling in his oratory, nor does he display the intellectual or passionate conviction of a committed reformer. This man is a healer, an agnostic - one without the 'fierce urgency' implicit in the zeal of true reform. In one word, Ed Miliband offers therapy, not leadership - a succinct comment made by Charles Powell this week. In Tony Benn's well used phrase, he is a weathercock not a signpost.

And every ditheringly contrived performance reminds me that this is not a believer, but an agnostic - one who doubts the possibility of ultimate knowledge.

Red Ed

Great piece in todays Sun newspaper on the Red Ed name going global:

"Ed Miliband was "Red Ed" round the globe yesterday as the world's media adopted The Sun's nickname for him.   But by last night it had gone global as TV presenters and journalists translated the phrase into their own language and used it to describe Red Ed's position in post-New Labour British politics. In France he was Ed Le Rouge, Der Rote Ed in Germany and Ed El Rojo in Spain. Italy's famous La Repubblica newspaper reported on the Labour conference under the headline: "Ed Il Rosso." Diario de Noticias in Portugal told how the Labour leader is "Ed vermelho". In Greece respected broadsheet Ta Nea had picked up the Kokkivou Evt - Red Ed - tag too. Even in Serbia, Blic newspaper reported "Crveni Ed" had disowned mentor Gordon Brown"

Priceless.

The indulgence of David Miliband

With the massed ranks of the British media completely taken in, David Miliband quits the Labour front bench to give his brother a 'clean field' for the future. The truth is that you will never again see a more egotistical, self-centred 72 hours in British politics.

Having lost a democratic ballot for leader of the party on Saturday, David Miliband totally overshadow's his brothers inauguration and first speech to the party with his apparent indecision over whether to stand for Labour's shadow cabinet.

He then claims that this decision is putting his party first. It is quite unbelievable that experienced hacks like Nick Robinson and Adam Boulton are taken in by this blatant self-indulgence.

The wind that shakes the barley

Michael White in Politics Weekly, Gaby Hinsliff in yesterday's Observer and now Jackie Ashley in today's Guardian. So where were you guys exactly when we were getting high? Defending the indefensible, that's where. Yes I'm talking to you Polly Toynbee.

The party of anger, hatred and deceit lost. Miserably. And the forces of terror that knew better than us how we should live left without contrition. A 'dumb waiter' deserving of extinction eh? Sounds about right Mr Milli-balls. Just be careful what you wish for...

The People want Fairness

Extraordinarily honest view from former New Statesman Editor John Kampfner in today's Daily Mail. He suggests the electorate are a lot more intelligent than the Labour leadership candidates currently believe.

Kampfner uses several examples of diverse and often contradictory policy solutions to prove his point - privatisation of BT (good) versus Network Rail (bad); PFI(bad) v public funding (good); Banking excesses (bad) v taxpayer bailouts (good).

His point? Its not about ideology. Its about fairness. And what works.

Be careful what you wish for...

I keep reading that Ed Miliband is now expected to beat his more high profile older brother for the Labour leadership by virtue of the fact that he has fewer enemies and presents himself as a nicer person - not to mention the workings of the AV electoral system which the party so principally rejects.

Often such characteristics in a politician suggest little or no thoughts of their own; a lack of strength in moral conviction or being vacuously described as 'all things to all men'.

In fact, exactly what they accused Cameron of being during his recent travels to Obamaland, Turkey and India - telling each what they wanted to hear.

Strange then that the very same party should be looking to elect exactly the characteristics they find so objectionable in the Prime Minister as their new leader.

Where's Labour?

Iain Martin writes witheringly of David Miliband's inability to engage in foreign policy debate. But it is no irony that the favourite for Labour leadership, foreign secretary for the last three years, leading Labour reformist and keeper of the Blairite flame, simply dismisses William Hague's speech as 'vacuous'. Brother Ed meanwhile (another leadership candidate), lazily attacks serious attempts at welfare reform as 'on yer bike Toryism'.

Time and again senior Labour figures - cabinet ministers up until a few short weeks ago - simply do not get it. From Harriet Harman's PMQ's performance downwards, the arguments have moved on. Labour has not.

Last nights Question Time reflected the same impoverished performance from Alan Johnson. 'I dont want to make it an Iain Duncan Smith benefit night' said David Dimbleby at one point as all four questions - on the budget, prison reform, immigration caps and job mobility -went unanswered by the former home secretary. Meanwhile Iain Duncan Smith argued lucidly on the geographic nature of poverty, its roots, the rehabilitation of first-time offenders and successfully absorbing immigration. No tribalism. No point scoring. Just intelligent and purposeful debate.

Later on This Week, Andy Burnham - yet another Labour leadership contender - could only muster the line 'it reminds me of the 1980s' as Michael Portillo (who left front-line politics five years ago) and a twenty-something indy folk singer (Roy Stride of Scouting For Girls), accurately took the pulse at the heart of coalition politics. Where's Labour?