The PM’s failure was being a spectator as Morgan McSweeney set about finding jobs for his mates
T
his is the end, beautiful friend. It is the tragedy of almost all prime ministers that they are the last person to realise the game is up. Their race is run. The backbenchers are the first to know. They spend time in their constituencies. They get it in the neck from voters who have had enough with whoever is in No 10. They are the ones who get told nothing seems to work any more and that the prime minister has to go.
Then come the cabinet ministers. They are more protected from the real world and may feel a residual sense of loyalty to the person who gave them a job. But even they are not immune to the tsunami of discontent.
On Tuesday, you could see the scales fall from Ed Miliband’s eyes. Mid-interview, he had a lightbulb moment,. Just why was he bothering to defend the indefensible. Sod it, he thought, and just said what was on his mind. That appointing Peter Mandelson had always been a catastrophic mistake.
