I can't think of a good Labour strategy, nor a messianic future leader, that will be able to stave off what's about to come. Actually, I can. A Tory majority is probably the only thing that can save Labour in the long term. That's somewhat ironic. Whether Labour deal with the SNP or the Tories, one UK nation is going to be mightily pissed off with them.

I agree, sort of.

If a Tory majority led Labour to find a charismatic, working class, archetypal leader who was to lead them back somewhat leftwards (It just needs a few popular touchstone issues- nationalisation for one) then Labour could hope to spend a few years honing this new, old Labour image, and providing robust opposition to the Tory's in Westminster...

But what will happen is Miliband will go, the Blairites will blame the fact the he was 'red' Ed and that the shift leftwards lost them the election and the Labour party will elect the most right-wing leader we have ever seen them go for. I wouldn't bet against this man being Jim Murphy.

This may save them in the very short term, but will kill them in England in much the same way as they have died in Scotland.

However if they win?

I think a deal with the SNP will go down badly with kippers and Tories but I am not sure that many people who would think of voting Labour in England will be that bothered, it won't bother most of their actual voters.

Miliband would love the excuse to use the SNP to shaft Balls and move the party further to the left on the economy, and I think they would be quite successful. The constitutional convention could end up actually being popular; end the farce that is the current house of Lords, provide some regional devolution which, with the SNP helping dictate economic policy might lead to at least the start of the regional rebalancing of the economy...

I don't think the SNP deal would go down as badly in 'Labour' England as is portrayed by the press. And if it helps Miliband force his party to the left then all the better.

This is clearly a 'best case' for Miliband as PM, but I think he could be quite successful. I'll be honest, I have a bit of a soft spot for him, anyone who makes the Torygraph and Daily Mail get so angry can't be all bad.