After much deliberation, I've decided to plump for David for the leadership of the Labour party. Up to the last moment, I was wavering and still am not 100% sure. As I said to the volunteer who phoned me a couple of weeks ago: 'I like what Ed Miliband says, but I prefer the way David says it.' David is obviously the most Prime Ministerial of the candidates on offer and, should we need a 'good to go' in the next twelve months (and we way well do), he's the one. I know he has been slow off the mark in terms of addressing a serious critique of New Labour, but if he had weighed in earlier, there would have been at least as much criticism from the same quarter and accusations of treachery or opportunism. He has managed to keep us on task in his campaign, focussing attention on the need to build and maintain a narrative with the majority of voters in the country. He wants to rebuild the party and energise local activists. And I think he is a break with his predecessor and so won't engage in a vindictive purge of his former opponents from this contest. So the Party will continue to benefit from the insights of Ed M and Ed B as well as Diane A and even Andy B (God help us!) The first fruits of that 'broad church' approach are already clear - David's tranfers of nominations to allow Diane Abbott to stand for the leadership has brought a different voice to these whole proceedings and allowed for a wider, more critical, debate on the issues. I trust that magnanimity and eye for the bigger picture to see us to a new debate within the Party and a new conversation with the voting public.
Ed Miliband has been a fantastic part of this campaign and certainly speaks my language. That won't be wasted, I'm sure, and his ideas will continue to transform the Party in its campaigning and policy-making. But it feels that David just has that little bit extra needed to be our leader.
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