To answer one of Lox's questions, both Milibands have been steeped in politics from the cradle. Both studied potlitics at Oxofrd, Ed for a year at Harvard too. Their father Ralph was a leading Marxist intellectual of his generation, highly respected far beyond the community of fellow Marxists, and their mother has long been a leading force in the Jewissh Friends of Palestine. In terms of education and brainpower, both are more than capable of the biggest jobs in politics, Ed being in my view - and it's a general view I think - slightly the sharper.

The question is how much real-life experience they have. Perhaps not a lot, but I'm still optimistic that Ed will turn out to be Labour's best leader since John Smith, possibly since Wilson.

I gather the British press have dubbed him "Red Ed" (I'm watching all this from Bosnia) which is just ludicrous. I remember him at Labour Party debates in 1993-5, arguing against Labour comitting to renationalise if the Tories privatised the railways.That was in a radical constituency where such views were in a minority, but he was persuasive. He has not moved to the left since those days.

Don't overlook that a large number of MPs and party members DID vote for him, notwithstanding that his brother has had a vastly higher profile by dint of being the senior, and - until now anyway - one step ahead of David on the career path. I don't know whether it was luck or judgment that put him in an easier position than David to oppose the Iraq war, but that stance was unequestionably a factor in him winning the leadership.

Labour can look forward to a resurgence under Ed Miliband. I might even rejoin.