In the Red Corner, Ed Miliband

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Way back in 2010, Ed Miliband emerged from the shadow of his brother to win the leadership of the Labour party from former leader Gordon Brown. Dubbed ‘Red Ed’ he managed to win over the party with his more left-of-centre policies. It was a deliberate choice to turn away from the legacy of Tony Blair, whom many felt had drifted from Labour’s core principles. He also differed from Blair on the Iraq War in 2003, calling it a ‘tragic error’.

Bio

The 45 year old father of two lives in London with his lawyer spouse Justine Thornton. The son of Marxist academic Ralph Miliband, he was primed from an early age in socialist policies, ideas he would continue to develop during his university years. Having attended a state school he went on to study Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford University. He started off as a Labour party researcher rising up the ranks and becoming a confidente of Gordon Brown. In 2008 he was appointed Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. He went head-to-head with his brother David in the leadership contest in 2010. A fact which continues to stir controversy.

Evolution of Style

Gloomy, north London Geek, Wallace and Gromit and the worst Labour Leader ever are just some of the names pinned on Miliband.

The leader had a difficult introduction onto the political scene with an apparent awkwardness in public prompting scorn and ridicule from some sections of the press. He has been subject to various media shamings, but one of the latest earned him the media label of ‘Two Kitchens Miliband’. It came in the wake of a photoshoot showing the opposition leader in his kitchen which critics labeled as ‘communist’ in style. Kitchen class warfare erupted when it emerged that the photo was taken in his second kitchen and that another part of his residence housed his main kitchen which was more ‘cosy’.

The Ed Miliband affair: The kitchen is now the principal signifier of a family’s status http://t.co/NjqDoOgRXd#pmqspic.twitter.com/9RsTCsn9H7

— Icon magazine (@iconeye) March 18, 2015

However, the election campaign has seen an evolution of the leader’s style. He has even sprouted a Facebook fan page which pays homage to his sex symbol status. Though it only has 797 likes it is dedicated to ‘all those who think our future prime minister is hot spice’.

On a more serious note, Miliband has managed to impress many in TV debates in the run-up to election day. With polls taken after each debate putting him either neck-and-neck with Prime Minister or edging him out. The Labour Press Office has made much of this saying it proves he is ready to take his place at Number 10 Downing Street.

This Ed Miliband picture is one of the MOST shared images tonight #BBCDebatepic.twitter.com/IWgKkgMY04

— BBC Trending (@BBCtrending) April 16, 2015

Miliband online

With an earthy Twitter description of ‘Leader of the Labour Party, Husband and Dad’, Miliband strikes a humble-ish tone.

What Twitter says about @Ed_Miliband - red = negative, green = positive http://t.co/oJLFzK65qc via @Synthesiopic.twitter.com/eaw7Jk2ErO

— Duncan Hooper (@DuncanHooper) April 28, 2015

With 405K followers, Miliband lags behind Prime Minister David Cameron who leads with 925K, but he is far ahead of the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg on 219K.

One of his most favourited and re-tweeted tweets was the following:

.David_Cameron</a> why are you running scared of TV debates? The British people want a head-to-head TV debate. Let&#39;s give it to them.</p>&mdash; Ed Miliband (Ed_Miliband) March 5, 2015

Maybe Cameron is running scared of the ‘Tough Guy’ following his outburst during the first TV debate between all seven party leaders in early April.

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