As the marathon Labour leadership contest enters its final stretch, this week’s New Statesman looks at the struggle between the Miliband brothers for one of the biggest prizes in British politics.
In our leader, we endorse Ed Miliband for the leadership and argue that, of all the candidates, it is he who has been most prepared to challenge the orthodoxies of New Labour. In a guest column this week, the man himself sets out his vision of a more equal country and offers a progressive alternative to the coalition.
Elsewhere, in a big boost for Ed’s brother, David, the influential Labour MP Jon Cruddas talks exclusively to the NS editor, Jason Cowley, about why he’s backing the elder Miliband for the leadership.
Also this week, Mehdi Hasan argues that Ed Miliband has the common touch needed to win over voters, and Irwin Stelzer says that Ed Balls is the only one of the candidates with a solid grasp of economics.
All this, plus Edward Platt on the Hamas prisoners of East Jerusalem, Will Self on folk revivalists, and an interview with the Office creator Stephen Merchant.