An interesting week ...

I've been in a trial this week and so have not devoted any time to blogging ... but I have kept my eyes and ears open.

Ed Miliband does not appear to have struck a convincing tack to the left of his party, however much his opponents may want him to be painted as having tacked that way.  The 'red Ed' epithet is entertaining and potentially dangerous for him, but I am not sure that it will convince voters on the basis of what has happened so far ...

The fact that he appears to have been elected on the back of votes from the trade unions will increase suspicion among some - and the accusations that he and the Labour Party are 'in the pockets of the Unions' are merely a statement of the obvious.  The Labour Party was born out of the trade unions and it is no surprise to me that as they find their attraction and usefulness to others reduces their ability to raise funds from others, their reliance on finding from the trade unions affiliated to the Party is not surprising.

He will have time, in the minds of the electorate, to make his mark.  In that time, the reductions in expenditure will be proposed and start to be implemented by the Government.  Labour and Ed Miliband will have the space to criticise what is done ... and in that space they will be alone.  So, if he comes over well in that context and if people are receptive to the message against the 'cuts' that he sells and if he can overcome the difficulties that he will face in apparently refusing to explain what the alternatives are in a credible way, he will probably grow into place ...

But he does, in this image conscious time, have an 'image problem'.  His history and experience are limited ... he sometimes reverts and talks in a language that is difficult to understand and lacks both clarity and credibility.  His personality and persona is not known outside narrow circles ... and that gives him advantages and difficulties. 

I don't know about you, but I shall continue to watch and see how things develop before I draw any conclusions about where the Labour Party's choice for leader take them.  It is just too early to compare him with Hague or IDS ... he is a risk for Labour, but will it pay off?  We shall see.