Not Up to the Job? Two Can Play at That Game

If you see articles in the newspapers, or hear items on other media, saying that Ed Miliband is ‘not up to it’, do you ever wonder why so many people use the same phrase, or where it comes from?

Here’s a hint. This e-mail was sent to me, and presumably to scores of other political journalists, by the Tory Party.

 

 http://ebm.cheetahmail.com/c/tag/BUNDGpB81Nm6B883fyAABW3lnB/doc.html?t_params=REMOVE%3Drm-0b9gsk37bfeu7z5auzduaubysb634z7%2540email.conservatives.com

 

 

Some will say that Mr Miliband is not especially impressive . I tend to agree. But if we are going to make this a personal matter,  in terms of being ‘not up to it’ is he any worse than the man who:

Made Tory MPs applaud Anthony Blair on the day he left politics?

Helped to create a failed state in Libya?

Reshuffled his cabinet on the instructions of an image-maker?

Hasn’t managed to publish the Chilcot report on Iraq?
Has managed to menace press freedom by setting up the Leveson inquiry?
Hired Andy Coulson for a key Downing Street job, against the advance of many?

Broke royal confidentiality so that he could show off to the mayor of New York?

Dismissed UKIP?

Refuses to discuss his past drug use?

Never had any ministerial experience before he became Prime Minister
Was one of the greediest claimers of (lawful) expenses in the entire House of Commons despite being extremely well-off?

Was described by Jeff Randall (one of Britain’s leading business journalists) thus: ‘To describe Cameron's approach to corporate PR as unhelpful and evasive overstates by a widish margin the clarity and plain-speaking that he brought to the job of being Michael Green's mouthpiece. In my experience, Cameron never gave a straight answer when dissemblance was a plausible alternative, which probably makes him perfectly suited for the role he now seeks: the next Tony Blair.’