David Miliband's challenge has galvanised Westminster this week. Beyond the frenzied analysis about whether the foreign secretary's actions amount to a direct bid for Labour party leadership and the keys to Downing Street, one point is clear: he has set out how Labour should position itself. It is not where the party is now.

Mr Miliband's article in The Guardian made no mention of Gordon Brown. The absence of the prime minister's name was bound to bring accusations of disloyalty But it is worth looking at the broader argument, too. Mr Miliband has done a better job than we have come to expect from ministers of outlining the direction Labour should take and finding a line of attack against the Tories.