IT S not so long ago that foreign secretary David Miliband, interviewed by the Ham&High, was being exceedingly coy about his chances of becoming leader of the Labour Party and/or Prime Minister, in the foreseeable future. But Gordon Brown s faltering ten

IT'S not so long ago that foreign secretary David Miliband, interviewed by the Ham&High, was being exceedingly coy about his chances of becoming leader of the Labour Party and/or Prime Minister, in the foreseeable future.

But Gordon Brown's faltering tenure accelerates these prospects for the former Haverstock pupil. Now there is little doubt that the bright young spark, dubbed 'Brains' by New Labour kingmaker Alastair Campbell after the Thunderbirds character, sees himself as leader of the party and the country, sooner rather than later.

His challenge to Labour MPs to rediscover their lost confidence and ''change the way we do politics'' is a direct challenge to Brown's leadership. They say politics goes to sleep during the summer but Mr Miliband has given the Labour Party a wake-up call - and not before time.