Thursday 15 May 2008

Is Purnell the man to take Labour forward?


This week's Spectator magazine looks to the future for the Labour party with Fraser Nelson suggesting that James Purnell and not the fancied David Miliband could be its next leader.

Why not Miliband then?

....the Foreign Secretary’s fan base is starting to fracture, not least because he has conspicuously failed to woo the Parliamentary Labour Party. The accomplished egghead still frowns with impatience in interviews and select committee meetings when he thinks he is dealing with fools


Miliband belongs to a group of Blairite ministers,including Liam Byrne, Jim Murphy, and James Purnell.Nelson argues that the group's priority has changed to one of stop Ed Balls at all costs.

And this has put Purnell in the limelight

To tip the 38-year-old Work and Pensions Secretary for the leadership now may seem as absurd as tipping the then 38-year-old Mr Cameron seemed three years ago. Yet since he succeeded Peter Hain at the Department of Work and Pensions, his name has started to be factored routinely into the what-if scenarios being played around Westminster. Many laugh this off instantly, regarding him as a smooth lightweight who prefers tailoring to politicking. But those who do know him well regard the prospect as eminently plausible — and believe that he may leap over Mr Miliband’s head, just as Mr Blair overtook Mr Brown in the early Nineties.


Nelson argues that he has two charactoristics,firstly that he has an unusual grasp of detail(unlike his hero) and secondly that unlike many members of the cabinet he is"not a political obsessive.

There is a strong feeling that the party needs to get away fron the career politician view and Purnell may well be that person

Labour home are not agreeing.Asking how people rate the cabinet members,Miliband comes top with Purnell down in 8th place

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