Why is Ed Miliband more popular than ever? Here’s a handy explainer for you old people

The Milifandom lives on. Vive la #Milibae

Well he didn’t win at the general election, but it seems Ed Miliband has gone on to win the hearts of young people all over the UK.

If you don’t understand why, it might be that you’re over the age of 35 or that you simply are unable to appreciate the finer things in life, like Bieber and Snapchat.

So let us explain the phenomenon, or at least show you the evidence and hazard a guess as to why millennials love Miliband.

Here are some clips of the former Labour leader demonstrating what some might call an adorable rapport with teenagers:

With my guy ed x pic.twitter.com/8bJ8XfqPrB

— rach (@_rachelox_) 8 March 2016

Me and my boy Ed @Ed_Miliband pic.twitter.com/qgGss1mnAv

— The Heartbreak Kid (@Gidzo22) 12 March 2016

 

Meanwhile, on the blogging platform Tumblr, a millennial attempts to explain:

[Note – the word “bae” is a term of endearment, likely an acronym of “before anyone else” or a shortened version of the word “babe” – because millennials ain’t got no time to say full words.]

There was the time he went on holiday after losing at the election and grew some sexy stubble, according to Twitter users who created the #Milibeard movement.

 

He’s looking very swarthy. Could have picked up another 130 constituencies with that salt and pepper growth. pic.twitter.com/xdJrtEamop

— Mike Bird (@Birdyword) 20 August 2015

Ed Miliband is proof that men become 97% more attractive when they grow stubble. #Milibeardpic.twitter.com/ZbUZbKAIqr

— Rossalyn Warren (@RossalynWarren) 20 August 2015

#milifandomreturns? (p.s of course joking, i’ve already voted online) pic.twitter.com/vLusU1gFmZ

— Abby Tomlinson (@twcuddleston) 20 August 2015

Then, of course, there was the time the Doncaster MP gave a homeless man a tenner and it was caught on video by some young people. That hardly did his reputation any damage.

While the movement has begun to gain traction in the last few months, the phenomenon isn’t new. If you were using the internet as far back as May, you might have noticed the Milifandom picking up a little popularity then.

It was thought to have been started by then-17-year old student and Labour supporter Abby Tomlinson who described it as “a movement against the distorted media portrayal of Ed.”

She said she “started the #milifandom campaign to show how powerful young people are.”

When Miliband resigned as Labour leader, he said: “Thank you for the selfies, thank you for the support, and thank you for the most unlikely cult of the 21st century, Milifandom”.

But, as we know, the cult didn’t end there. There was something about Miliband in his natural environment, outside of the world of politics, that has seemed to appeal to young people.

#milibaepic.twitter.com/vE3KOMKFjm

— millibae (@sexymillibae) February 29, 2016

Such a crappy day but @Ed_Miliband with a beard just gave me all the feels. #Milibae#BringBackEd❤️ pic.twitter.com/UFso9lhTnh

— Kelly (@_kellymcgregor) January 22, 2016

So what hashtag do we use for this new brand of Milifandom?

OR #milleniband? They’re both awful

— Robyn Vinter (@RobynVinter) March 14, 2016

@RobynVinter milledials

— Esther Webber (@estwebber) March 14, 2016

 

If you think #milledials is bad, you should see what’s next.

Jeremy Corbyn illustration I did today <3 @UKLabour @JeremyCorbyn4PM #illustration#Corbyn#JeremyCorbynpic.twitter.com/LOu6EmrtvU

— Billy Mather (@billymatherart) February 24, 2016