There is an excellent piece by James Macintyre on the Miliband brothers in this week’s New Statesman.  We recommend it.

It is surprising that more hasn’t been written about the extraordinary circumstance of these two brothers contesting the Labour leadership.  There have been endless passing references, but little of depth.

To all but the most partisan observer, it seems almost certain to be one of these two who succeeds Gordon Brown.

The magnitude of Ed’s decision to stand against his older brother has also been under-scrutinised.  This is no fault of his.  He has consistently said that it was the most difficult decision he has ever made.

He says so in an attempt to neutralise adverse reaction from those who see it as an unnatural act.  There are shades of Sophocles and Aeschylus in this younger brother’s eleventh hour assault on his beloved elder. (more…)