Labour pains

It is the kind of episode that invites unfortunate comparisons with Iain Duncan Smith. A perfectly amiable individual like Mr Miliband, he simply struggled to make his mark as Opposition leader before losing the confidence of his party. It is a fate that could befall the Doncaster MP unless he can put his opportunism to one side and demonstrate better qualities as a leader, policy-maker and statesman.

For, frankly, ordinary taxpayers are bewildered by Mr Miliband’s mixed messages – and that is before they examine the brevity of his remarks on the Yorkshire economy and future of manufacturing following 900 job losses at the BAE Systems plant at Brough.

He talked earlier this week about the accentuating the difference between “producers” and “predators” before failing to identify clear examples of the latter.

Indeed, many would classify the trade unions, whose money bankrolls the Labour Party, as “predators” because of the threat that their militancy could pose to the wider economy. But Mr Miliband cannot say this. He became party leader, unexpectedly, with their support – and is now fighting to retain their trust ahead of threatened nationwide strikes later this month.

By obfuscating on this issue, he comes over as indecisive because he knows general elections are won from the centre – and that committed support of Left-wing trade unions is unlikely to win over sufficient floating voters from the Tory and Lib Dem ranks.

In short, Mr Miliband must start being his “own man” on the economy, and other issues, before his party starts looking for alternatives, and, specifically, the leadership merits of his fellow Yorkshire MP Yvette Cooper.