Across the pond

David Miliband has to decide in two days whether to join his brother in the shadow cabinet – and in the next Labour government, whenever tat is – in two days.

The mainstream press has been having a field day, giving the Cain and Abel story yet another airing.

But the reality of 2010 is that these are two brothers who have been very close and fond of each other. Both of them have to decide what to do – not in the age of Cain and Abel – but in 2010, when both of them are being harrassed at the Labour Party conference in Manchester, by journalists and photographers, to tell us what they are going to do.

This is a nightmare for both brothers.

Ed has to make a speech tomorrow, trying to unify the Labour Party.

Meanwhile the mainstream press is telling everyone that he is thinking of offering David the job of Shadow Chancellor.

For which he is terribly ill-suited.

He has been a good Foreign Secretary. But he knows far less of economics than his brother.

The media has its own axe to grind. And Times Online is leading with a story about a poll, which shows that most Labour voters wanted David.

Maybe.

But what is certain is that Britain’s most powerful media tycoon would have preferred David. Rupert Murdoch who won it for Blair, wants Newer Labour to be like the New Labour of Blair.

Instead of something different.

So if David decides to join the Shadow Cabinet, the Murdoch press will lead the media pack seeking to highlight any differences between them.

But if he declines, the Murdoch press will lead the media pack in implying that Labour chose the WRONG brother.

The best solution would be for David to continue as Foreign Secretary. But the norm in British politics moots for a change.

If that norm rules, far better that David goes for something like Home Secretary.

In the hot-house atmosphere of the Labour conference, or any conference, it is unlikely that reason will prevail.

But we can always hope.

The un-expected sometimes happens.