On the day that the front pages are full of Tony Blair having his say about Gordon Brown, telling The Guardian he knew Brown would be a “disaster”, The Daily Mirror has chosen the day that ballot papers are sent out to Labour Party members to splash with a front page endorsing David Miliband.
Its backing comes as 11 senior shadow Cabinet members last night threw their weight behind David Miliband – they are Alan Johnson, Bob Ainsworth, Douglas Alexander, Liam Byrne, Ben Bradshaw, Alistair Darling, Tessa Jowell, Pat McFadden, Jim Murphy, Shaun Woodward and Jack Straw.
Explaining its decision this morning, the Mirror, said: “The Daily Mirror today backs David Miliband to be the next leader of the Labour Party. We believe he has the intellect, talent and experience to take on the Tories – and eventually become PM. And we urge all those with a vote in the contest to rally behind him.
“Backing Mr Miliband has not been an easy decision. All five candidates have something to offer. But all Labour supporters agree on onething: the party must reconnect with the people. The Mirror firmlybelieves David Miliband is the man to steer Labour to this recovery.
“His experience at the highest level ofgovernment is invaluable. He has a capacity to find new solutions toold questions. He is the one candidate the Tories fear.”
