Mr Miliband has worked hard to overcome that awkwardness. In the words of Lord Stewart Wood, his friend and key strategist: People are seeing in public the Ed that other people have seen in private for a long time. Hes comfortable about talking about his life outside politics in a way that perhaps
The headline about his father being a man who hated Britain is the only time hes had a strong and lasting reaction to a bad story, says Stewart Wood. It really got under his skin, and he was furious. He reacted and responded to that as a son, not a politician.
That confusion has given Miliband and his party fresh heart. Ive never seen him as focused, says Stewart Wood. He has passion and self-belief. Theres a confidence now about Labour under Ed even among people who used to be sceptics.
