Ed Miliband's Fierce Twitter Game Shows Why He's The 'King Of Zing'

Here's the best of Ed.
Ed Miliband with his Labour election pledges carved into a stone plinth during the 2015 general election campaign. Things have only got better.
Ed Miliband with his Labour election pledges carved into a stone plinth during the 2015 general election campaign. Things have only got better.
PA Archive/PA Images

You remember Ed Miliband, right? Ex-Labour Party leader, beat his brother to the job, flunked the 2015 general election?

Seemed like a nice guy, but faced a hostile right-leaning press who dubbed him Red Ed and repeatedly pictured him awkwardly eating a bacon sandwich. Maybe the ‘Ed Stone’ (above) didn’t help.

Well, that very same Ed Miliband is enjoying a renaissance thanks to Twitter, the social media platform that arguably did him few favours in his failed climb to power.

Sure, his teenage fanclub knew it all along. But there’s something about Ed that his new-found embrace of Twitter has revealed: a funny, ironic and smart politician with a penchant for snark and trolling that means you could confuse him for a millennial (he’s 47, technically Generation X).

His status as the political ‘King of Zing’ was cemented yesterday thanks to two powerful interventions.

Hahahah this is excellent @Ed_Miliband pic.twitter.com/VLxM4TgjqJ

— Matt Turner (@MattTurner4L) May 2, 2017

Following instructions for grassroots strategy in Doncaster North https://t.co/X2g5DQQSJN

— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) May 2, 2017

And there was even some seconds.

@Ed_Miliband Ed Stone goes here... pic.twitter.com/otXu1mjGDf

— Tom Peck (@tompeck) May 2, 2017

Yep. There's always some smart-arse that has to spoil it https://t.co/7zuikHbRAd

— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) May 2, 2017

The Doncaster MP had earlier chimed in when Theresa May appeared to be having some difficulties eating from a cone of chips.

PM eating chips with @stevedouble on campaign trail in Tory seat of St Austell & Newquay. 8k majority over LD pic.twitter.com/RZalHtU6zy

— Faisal Islam (@faisalislam) May 2, 2017

.@theresa_may we should talk... https://t.co/rQolJH2mPl

— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) May 2, 2017

Strong, sure. But probably not his best material. Here’s Ed Mil trolling the Daily Mail, and Twitter loving it.

DAILY MAIL FRONT PAGE: Blueprint to save the NHS #skypapers pic.twitter.com/aV8PTzfbsx

— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 27, 2017

The 1950s called and asked for their headline back.#everydaysexism https://t.co/s1W1XfhrhN

— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) March 27, 2017

Or when he broke some ‘fake news’ after ex-Tory Chancellor George Osborne revealed he had been appointed Editor of the London Evening Standard.

Breaking: I will shortly be announced as editor of Heat magazine....

— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) March 17, 2017

Osborne seems to be a recurring character on the @Ed_Miliband feed. This after Emmanuel Macron made it through to the French Presidential election final round.

Congratulations to my friend @EmmanuelMacron. Proof you can win from the centre. At last, the chance for the leadership that France needs

— George Osborne (@George_Osborne) April 23, 2017

Do not panic too much about this tweet. I guess @EmmunelMacron has many friends. I also met him once... https://t.co/OzLb0q4r4m

— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) April 23, 2017

Another theme Miliband circles back on is the daylight robbery by the Tories of some of his policies, which they warned would be a disaster.

This on his proposed crackdown on spiralling energy bills being lifted by the Government.

And again.

EXC: Tory manifesto will definitely contain cap on household energy bills. See Sunday Times

— Tim Shipman (@ShippersUnbound) April 22, 2017

Tories in for kicking from Sun and Mail tomorrow for energy policy.Just wait: Marxist madness, anti-business, back to 70s...

— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) April 23, 2017

His review of Theresa May’s first Budget pulled no punches.

Time for crap excuses hotline: press 1 for economic downturn;2 for not that nic rate; 3 for blame DC; 4 for not free for interview.

— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) March 8, 2017

Maybe Mystic Ed saw the theft coming?

And when May U-turned over her Budget plan to increase National Insurance ...

U-turn if you want to, the lady's not for turning...oh alright go on then

— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) March 15, 2017

He’s engaged in Trans-Atlantic trolling too ...

Why aren't the lawyers looking at and using the Federal Court decision in Boston, which is at conflict with ridiculous lift ban decision?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 4, 2017

POTUS trolls his own lawyers. RIP satire. https://t.co/qlFqxyIDfx

— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) February 5, 2017

... repeatedly ...

The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 4, 2017

That was the problem with George W. Bush. He appointed so many left-wing judges. https://t.co/bbn4aIeh11

— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) February 4, 2017

... and reminding Trump of his own words just days earlier.

We should start an immediate investigation into @SenSchumer and his ties to Russia and Putin. A total hypocrite! pic.twitter.com/Ik3yqjHzsA

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 3, 2017

"The time for trivial fights is over...and the time for archive doughnut pictures has begun" https://t.co/1yCzLofNWn

— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) March 3, 2017

He’s even stepped to Trump’s Brit pal.

I'm planning a 'Men's March' to protest at the creeping global emasculation of my gender by rabid feminists. Who's with me?

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 21, 2017

Is this a parody account? https://t.co/fFhGjVXVNF

— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) January 21, 2017

Miliband giving shade to post-Brexit promises also won massive props.

Fairly sure 'Let's give billions more to big business in tax cuts' wasn't on the bus...

— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) January 16, 2017

To put the tin on, there’s been top bants with a fellow unlikely Twitter boss.

It's been such a pleasure guest-editing @Ed_Miliband's Twitter page these last couple of weeks.

— James Blunt (@JamesBlunt) March 28, 2017

You explicitly said nobody would ever know. Hope your songs are better than your ability to keep secrets. https://t.co/X6OZKIGqu0

— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) March 28, 2017

By contrast, his former nemesis has just bought a shed (and is crowing about it in the Sunday papers).

It's ok, the man who got us in this mess is "chillaxing in the country" #notallinthistogether pic.twitter.com/IVQfdFLJWF

— sam baker (@SamBaker) April 30, 2017
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