Ed Balls: Labour Party faces a five-year fight
THE Labour Party cannot expect the coalition government to disintegrate and should prepare itself for a five-year period in opposition, leadership candidate Ed Balls has warned.
Speaking on a visit to Scotland, the shadow schools secretary said his colleagues should guard against complacency and select a leader who could take on the government during an extended period of opposition.
He told The Scotsman: "Anybody who thinks this coalition is going to fall apart quickly and we just have to sit and wait for an election is wrong. That was the view of many back in May, when people were thinking there was going to be an election in a few weeks' time.
"The reason I am standing is that we have got potentially a five-year fight and you have to have people that have shown they can be an effective leader of the Opposition. The Labour Party should not be complacent about getting back to power quickly - that would be foolish."
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Monday 28 May 2012
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