David Miliband

David Miliband is regularly touted as someone who might challenge Gordon Brown for the leadership of the Labour Party. I doubt very much if he will, but that doesn't mean he won't ever lead the party. During the live broadcast of Brown delivering his budget to Parliament a couple of weeks ago, the camera rested on a group of MPs standing at the back. The group were like Shakespearean courtiers and Miliband, in the middle, looked watchful, dangerous, his dark eyes looking intently and penetratingly at Brown. He will, I believe, either end up executed, or as the executioner. To me he looked like someone biding their time, waiting for the right moment while absorbing everything around him, not missing a thing. He could get his timing horribly wrong, who knows? He could spend a lifetime as a might-have-been, like William Hague for example. Or, if he's patient, he could lie low, wait for Brown to hang himself, quietly build an empire, then get moving when the time is right. Whatever happens, I suspect it's going to be a fascinating political story, worthy of Shakespeare. Brown's whole life, of course, is a full-scale Shakespearean tragedy. We are seeing an endgame here, and Miliband , if he's as clever as he appears, will take full advantage. We'll see.......