Labour leadership challenge 2009; effect on 2010 general election

Let's say that in early 2009, a Cabinet coup was successful in forcing a Labour leadership election replacing Gordon Brown with David Miliband.

How would this have affected the 2010 general election? Were Labour doomed to failure anyway; was a sympathy vote for Gordon Brown a factor in the party's surprisingly positive result (ie hung parliament); and would the party just fracture into two huge parts, resulting in an even worse defeat?
 
If Miliband won I doubt he'd wait until 2010, a poll during all the talk of a coup showed that Labour would be the largest party in a hung parliament at the next election (the polls at the time were predicting a comfortable Tory majority), if he got a poll bounce after victory he'd almost certainly not repeat Brown's mistake and fight an October 2009 election as a 'last chance'.
 
I'm not certain Miliband would actually take charge in 2009. I recall in the summer of 2008 a lot of noise was made by him and I did think maybe after the summer recess something might happen but it/he didn't.

I'd agree. If Brown were to be replaced, the incumbant would HAVE to go to the country. It would be far to easy for the opposition(s) to simply band about the 'unelected' charge constantly.

Waiting isn't a good idea. Go straight to the country. I could see Labour being largest in a hung parliament. I could even see them scrapping a very slim majority (which therefore won't last).
 
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