Ed Miliband is under fire not just from the Tories but his own Blairite enemies within

It has been extraordinary that in a week when Labour won 300 council seats, taking control of a number of councils, that the media have managed to conjure this up into some sort of defeat. The focus has been on another character assassination of Ed Miliband as leader and the ongoing promotion of UKIP as a political force. The attacks on Miliband of the past week or so are a sign of things to come. The media do not like him, yet he represents the only real hope of change from the neo-liberal dogma of the past 30 years. He could do with better PR advisors – they are not helping him at all, playing to his weaknesses in public arenas but all the same the attack on the Labour leader has been ferocious.

The Tory attacks can be expected, what is less acceptable is the assault from within the party itself – the anonymous briefings etc. Many of these attacks come from the Blairite rump of the party which operates a bit like a strange religious sect. Any straying from its own tried and failed form of neo-liberalism has to be derided – better in the view of this group to have the Tories in power than a Labour Party that has moved from the creed of new labourism. What is for sure, any sign of divisions in the party will not play well with a public that is clearly tired of the petty squabbling of the Westminster goldfish bowl.

The next 12 months will certainly be crucial for Labour, representing the last throw at getting power based on a broad church principle. If Labour lose, due in any part to enemies within, the trade unions will rightly refuse to bankroll it any further into the future, The Labour Party has always been a difficult alliance of interests but betrayal now at a time when, whatever media commentators say, there is a very real chance of getting power will not be easily forgiven.