The odd couple

Mr Miliband looks increasingly likely to appoint Mr Balls as his shadow chancellor if he wins the Labour leadership election. He used a television debate to heap praise on Mr Balls for his work in holding the Coalition to account over the economy. Mr Balls returned the favour yesterday by criticising Mr Miliband’s brother, Ed, who is the other main challenger in the race to succeed Gordon Brown. On the BBC’s Jeremy Vine Show, Mr Balls placed some of the blame on Ed Miliband, who was in charge of writing the party’s election manifesto, for the policies that came out of the No?10 “bunker” in the dying days of the Labour administration. – The Telegraph

Campaign poll

David Miliband took heart from a new YouGov poll which showed he was most likely to woo voters who rejected the party at the general election. The poll was commissioned by his campaign. It found 47% of respondents who had a view believe the shadow foreign secretary is the most effective alternative to Cameron — a 28 point lead over his nearest rival, his brother Ed, who scored 19%. Ed Balls trailed on 13%, with Diane Abbott and Andy Burnham on 11% and 10% respectively. – The Guardian

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The Blair effect

One of the candidates, Andy Burnham, said that he was saddened that Mr Blair had chosen the day voting in the contest opens to reignite his battle with Mr Brown, through his memoirs. Mr Burnham said that he had ?huge respect? for Mr Blair and everything that he had achieved for the Labour Party. ?But I am saddened that he has chosen this day of all days to publish his book,? he said. ?Labour should be looking to the future. Labour needs to leave all this behind. Members are fed up with it. Most are not Blairites or Brownites, Old or New Labour. They are just Labour. – The Herald

The contenders for the Labour leadership have gone head to head on Channel 4 News with all five attempting to distance themselves from Tony Blair’s legacy on the day the former prime minister’s memoirs went on sale. The five hopefuls were united at least by their squabble over Tony Blair’s book, with David Miliband – widely dubbed the “heir to Blair” – calling for unity as the debate became heated. – Channel Four

The condemnation came as voting began to elect a new leader, months after Labour was ousted following 13 years in power, with former foreign secretary David Miliband tipped to succeed Gordon Brown over his brother Ed Miliband. One by one the five leadership candidates used the publication of former prime minister Mr Blair’s explosive memoirs to argue that it was time to leave the past, and particularly Mr Blair and Mr Brown, behind. In what the Brownites called ?Blair’s final revenge? he attacked his successor’s record, accused him of blackmail, asserted he had ?zero emotional intelligence? and was not ?psychologically wired? for the rigours of office. – The Australian

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Noel and Liam, Michael and Fredo, David & Ed?

With the vote for the new Labour party leader less than a month away, the race between the Miliband brothers is hotting up – with both Tony Blair and Lord Mandelson intervening on behalf of elder brother David. Mandelson told the Times a vote for Ed Miliband, who is urging a return to pre-Blairite Labour policies, would lead Labour into an “electoral cul-de-sac”. Blair himself is expected to use an Andrew Marr interview on BBC2 this Wednesday to make it clear that a vote for Ed will be destructive. Even if he doesn’t explicitly endorse David, the message will be clear. – The First Post

Ed Miliband has declared he is ready to sack rival brother David as the pair step up their fierce battle for the Labour crown. The shadow energy secretary has ducked the question in the past but showed his ruthless streak as ballot papers are sent to activists this week. The pair have not spoken in two weeks. And Ed, 40, was asked on a radio phone-in whether he could ever bring himself to axe David if he won. The former minister said: “I would have to make the right decisions.” Pressed on whether that meant he was prepared to give his brother the bullet he added: “Of course that is the case.” – The Mirror

Opponents enjoy portraying the Milibrothers as Michael and Fredo Corleone in The Godfather. But I suspect Ed would have little trouble serving in a party headed by David. The tantalising question is whether David could work for Ed. David has been led to believe for years that he can become leader. If Ed hadn’t stood, bookies’ would’ve stopped taking bets in a coronation rather than a contest. And as elder brothers everywhere know, it’s hard to play second fiddle to the young’un. Labour needs another psychodrama after Blair-Brown like a hole in the head. – The Mirror

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The Leadership Race

David Miliband poses the greatest threat to the Conservative party of all the candidates in the Labour leadership contest, David Cameron has said in private remarks that could change the dynamic of the campaign just days before millions of ballot papers are posted. To the likely delight of the older Miliband, who enters the final stages as the frontrunner, the prime minister has made it clear he believes the shadow foreign secretary stands the best chance of reaching out to middle Britain. – The Guardian.

With the Labour leadership election entering its final furlong, the faint outlines of a genuine debate are beginning to emerge. In his speech on Wednesday, David Miliband put clear blue water between him and the other candidates, tacitly admitting that the state grew too large under his New Labour predecessors and acknowledging the need to cut the deficit. – The Telegraph.

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