Ed Miliband and his new broom (minus a few bristles)

Ed Miliband is now Labour leader and looking every inch the junior executive with a day in charge whilst the boss is away. I suppose the Labour Party is now going to reinvent itself again. Branding for Britain's socialists, or whatever they are today, is rather like supermarket branding. Keep changing the label and the punters might think they're getting something different. I've been thinking about this Miliband brother contest. I think it will be probably best all round if Dave does disappear. Otherwise the press will continue, ad nauseam, about the brothers. Ed and David are both ambitious men. Both wanted the top job. This is not about responsibility as Ed waffled on about this morning. He has no "responsibility" to be leader. It's just his ambition. He thinks he's better than anyone else. Fair do's. But don't get all pious about it.

As for his Iraq stuff, well it's OK as it goes but he's been around for some time and his voice of disapproval was a whisper if it was anything. He implies New Labour is dead, but looking at the present shadow cabinet, as Ed gave his leader's speech, it looked like they were suffering from nothing worse than having eaten sour grapes.

Miliband junior gets to have an elected team to select from. None of his choosing. Could be anyone. Dromey's in there apparently. He's Harperson's husband and looking quite good for a suited and booted former trade union rabble rouser. I fear a slick presentation of anti-cuts opposition. The trouble is it was New Labour that baked the cake and stuck frightful frosting on the top. Now that they lost the knife to cut it with, they are berating the coalition over its choice of knife and slices. The cake should never have been baked in the first place. It's full of quantative easing and the cherries have all sunk to the bottom.

Miliband may suit some but I don't think he will be much more than he is already. Just leader of the Labour Party.