The first anniversary retrospectives did not make happy reading for Mr. Brown. The general conclusion was that the election that wasn't, Yellow Saturday, was what buried his premiership. He who hesitates is lost.
I'm starting to wonder if Mr. Brown is not the only politically lily-livered ditherer in the Cabinet. David Miliband's PM-in-waiting act is starting to remind me a lot of Gordon Brown. Regarded by his wing of the party as the inevitable successor (tick), as the Prime Minister plunges in popularity becomes longed-for by the other wing of the party (tick), refuses to act despite entreaties (tick)....
The difference between Brown-as-heir and Miliband-as-heir is that Brown only had one possible rival (Miliband) whereas Miliband has several. The chief amongst them is James Purnell.
Dan Hannan had a good piece recently on his favourite left-wing journalists. Mine is John Rentoul. The most lyrical and best-connected of the Blairites, Rentoul's increasingly fevered and impassioned calls to David Miliband to act and save the Labour party have fascinated me over the last six months or so. But Miliband will do nothing, other than plot. He has underwhelmed at the Foreign Office; in another echo of Brown, the main point of Miliband appears to be that he is the heir, and that is that.
We have not merely seen a refusal to challenge Brown. There has also been a total lack of policy, big thinking, great speeches, anything at all that marks out a leader.
Purnell is very young, but that fact has not stopped Osborne leading on the economy. He has recently given a quite outstanding speech. (Of course, on policy and its conclusions about the Tories and David Cameron the speech is total hogwash. That goes without saying, as it's by a Labour Cabinet minister. But it is strong rhetoric, leavened with humour, well structured, and - how shall I put it - feisty. As a politician you must recognise a strong performance by an enemy). Purnell is right-wing and has had the sense to copy Chris Grayling's ideas on welfare. Purnell is holding "surgeries" within Westminster, where his colleagues can bring him, direct, their constituents' problems. Purnell is prepared to challenge Brown - his much talked about speech was written by a speechwriter who criticised Brown, whom Brown demanded he sack, and whom Purnell refused to sack.
I have sensed Rentoul's affections transferring to Purnell. Miliband should be careful. Thatcher was never meant to lead the Tory party; there were bigger beasts than her; but when it came down to it, only she dared to act. And the party went with her because she had the guts to do it.
