Today’s Tory intervention could have been focused on the question of whether a Labour government would renew Trident, sowing fear among voters about the possible influence of the pro-disarmament SNP. But rather than that policy issue, it is Michael Fallon’s crude ad hominem attack on Ed Miliband that is dominating discussion. In today’s Times, the Defence Secretary declared that Miliband “stabbed his own brother in the back to become Labour leader” and would “stab the United Kingdom in the back to become prime minister”. The remarks were immediately identified by commentators as unworthy. “Embarrassing: Way too personal,” tweeted Tim Montgomerie, the former editor of ConservativeHome. Later asked at the Q&A that followed his speech whether Miliband was a “decent” man, Fallon twice refused to say he was.
Swiftly made aware of the Defence Secretary’s response, Miliband had an answer ready when asked about the issue at Labour’s education manifesto launch. “Michael Fallon’s a decent man,” he said (thus paying his opponent the compliment he wouldn’t), “but today he’s demeaned himself and he’s demeaned his office”. By so personalising his attack on Miliband, Fallon handed the Labour leader a chance to be the statesman. As in the case of similar assaults on Miliband (most notably the Daily Mail’s slurs against him and his father in 2013), it has backfired. “The Conservative Party can throw what they like …. but I’ve got used to it, I’m resilient”, Miliband continued, adding that “decent Conservatives across our country will say ‘come on we’re better than this’. David Cameron should be ashamed.” When later invited to endorse Fallon’s “stab in the back” charge, the Prime Minister pointedly declined to do so, instead seeking to draw attention back to the issue of Trident. But the damage had been done. By refusing to say that Miliband was a “decent” man, Fallon merely allowed him to prove that he is (indeed, “decency” has long been one of the Labour leader’s best-rated qualities among voters).
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