Another Sunday, another set of slight shifts in the tectonic plates of the semi-dormant Labour leadership contest. Up to now, the smart money has appeared to be on Ed Miliband, but he has received something of a blow today while his brother has come out fighting. Meanwhile, Ed Balls, the only other candidate to have the required 33 nominations so far, has pitched to the conservative Labour vote. Today’s highlights:
— Alastair Campbell has told the Independent on Sunday that while Ed Miliband is a “nice guy” he would make the party “feel OK about losing”. Though this may be unfair, and may not damage Ed Miliband in sections of the party that may see opposition from Campbell as something of a badge of honour, the view — and Campbell’s preference for David Miliband — will be seen as a reflection of the view of senior Blairites.
— David Miliband has denounced Nick Clegg’s claim that the coalition is introducing “progressive” cuts as “breathtaking hypocrisy”, in a strong attack that will boost his supporters’ view that their candidate is the one ready now to take on the coalition.
— Ed Balls has used an article in the Observer to appeal to conservative-minded Labour MPs and his own core vote by warning that immigrants, especially those from EU countries, must be strictly controlled.
All these stories can be found here.
I’ll be back to go through further stories of the day at 13.00hrs.
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