The political weather has changed

The tragedy that the Cameron family now confront is deeply felt by everyone.  This sympathy will continue.

The way Cameron had chosen to speak about Ivan has changed the way he is viewed forever.  No longer will he be seen as the Eton and Oxford lad from a privileged background; no longer the “toff” who is not one of us; no longer the leader that used his children as “props”; no longer as the leader of a party that fails to back the NHS.

In another way it changes the dynamics of his relationship with Brown, awful as it has been.  Both have now suffered from the same experiences in having to deal with the death of a child.  Brown was genuine and heartfelt in his words yesterday.  The differences between them will now be debated outside the “Punch & Judy” prism.  Short-term tactical victories will be seen as hollow.

The political weather has changed, and this tragedy may well have sealed the deal between Cameron and the wider public.  Brown may have been the first to appreciate this, by giving such a sincere and moving tribute.