I fear Labour leader Ed Miliband has been caught between the tabloids and the deep blue sea in the dispute over public sector pensions.
He uses his own blog to denounce the government's stance and expresses some sympathy (but that's all) with those whom the coalition is shafting - members of the very movement, the trade unions, whose votes secured him the party's leadership.
Despite this, he shows little appetite for the right of workers to withdraw their labour.
It is plain that Miliband is showing ominous signs of that Labour leadership mindset that distances the incumbent from workplace strife, lest the right-wing press disapproves of any empathy with the employees. He should be reminded that Neil Kinnock, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown had only mixed electoral fortunes using this tactic.
Mind you, the warning signs are there at the start of Miliband's blog, which reads: "Strikes are a sign of failure."
Hmmm. Not if you win them, Ed.
Picture: Rex Features
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