Sonia Purnell’s

PERSPECTIVES

‘Failure would perhaps have propelled Starmer to become a greater performer for when he and the country needed it most’

The Art of Failure

Ed Miliband – the former Labour Leader brutally felled by a bacon sandwich and the ludicrously portentous ‘EdStone’ – is currently the most popular Cabinet minister among Labour grassroots, with an approval rating of +74, according to a recent poll by Survation.

It is testimony to the power of failure as a driver of political success – at least when it prompts valuable reflection on what gains traction in public life, plus a clearer set of goals and how to achieve them. The Prime Minister may want to take note.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Miliband has succeeded in making his green agenda appealing to many even when the Government as a whole is woefully unpopular. He has commanded attention with clear objectives and a meticulous no-frills persona. He has shown how to make things happen, and given us an insight into how Britain could run better (and greener).

Ministerial experience – a rare quality in this Government – is important in knowing how to pull the right levers in Whitehall (where Miliband is also unusually popular), but so is his understanding of where he went wrong before.