A concerted union effort has placed Ed Miliband in the driving seat of Labour, defeating his brother and swinging the opposition party towards the Left. Cue the shrill stereotypes of extremism, a 'lurch to the left' and generational unelectability. Predictions that rely upon the assumptions that the British electorate enjoy innate sage advice and that the coalition will remain a viable option for both parties.
Only with his speech as new leader to the party will we see how far 'Red Ed' remains wedded to the promises that he made on the campaign trail. He has already maintained that he is not a pawn of the unions, despite their all-out support on his behalf. The prospects are not good: a combination of anti-Blairite rhetoric ("New Labour is dead") and a continuation of Brownonomics, deficit denial and the reactionary defence of unreformed public services remain the hallmark of Labour's arrogance. As the author of their manifesto, Ed Miliband, more than most, is responsible for opposition. Yet, the statements remain a mantra: spending cuts bad, public spending good.
Within a few years, this mantra will appear as outdated as Thatcherism was by 1997. All political culture changes and, unless salvaged by crisis, Labour will be playing catch up, since the springs of renewal do not appear to command the opposition front bench. But politics can surprise....