Ed Miliband takes my advice

The Daily Mail scoffs:

Whether he is in a car park, a factory or even a field, Ed Miliband is never far from a lectern during the election campaign. 

The Labour leader has been touring the country with the prop in an attempt to make him appear more statesmanlike. 

He has delivered key speeches in the campaign stood behind the lectern. But it has also been deployed when he is just making some brief remarks or holding question and answer events with members of the public.

Maybe he is taking it too far, but he has taken my advice.

Back in September of last year, after Ed Miliband forgot to mention the deficit in his speech to the Labour Conference I suggested it was time for him to give up his stunt of delivering his conference speech from memory:

Miliband's defence of the technique is that it makes it easier for him to connect with people. But that sounds to me like a hangover from the early days of his leadership when we were told he was a brilliant communicator. 

He is not, though he is not an awful one either. Miliband's real weakness is that people think he lacks leadership qualities. 

In short, he needs to acquire some gravitas. And speaking from a lectern with a written speech - a speech that is not afraid to mention the deficit - would be a good first step.