Brother’s warning for Miliband

Published on Thursday 2 February 2012 00:55

LABOUR needs “restless rethinking” of its purpose and policies if it is to return to power, former leadership candidate David Miliband has said.

In his most high-profile foray into the political frontline since being defeated by his brother Ed in 2010, the former foreign secretary set out a seven-point plan for the party.

He said that Labour must admit “loud and clear” where it got things wrong in power, but – in what may be seen as a defence of New Labour against his brother’s criticisms – he insisted the party must assert that the gains made between 1997 and 2010 “far outstripped the mistakes”.

In an essay in New Statesman magazine, he said Ed should be given credit for preventing disunity in Labour since its 2010 general election defeat. And he said his brother understood the need for a policy rethink and had spoken “powerfully and correctly” about welfare.

But he warned that there were elements within Labour who wanted to respond to defeat by retreating to “big state” social democracy and that the party had “a lot to be concerned about” come elections 2015, when Conservatives would be boosted by their financial advantages and boundary changes which would favour them.

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6

allymax

Friday, February 3, 2012 at 04:47 AM

'Brothers' Miliband ........................are anti-Scottish.

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5

Dave scotland

Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 10:29 PM

Is this the start of David,s comeback. Will we see him in line to take over from brother Ed. I am sure he is still hurting from the defeat last time. Watch this space

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allymax

Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 09:53 PM

The first thing Ed needs to do is get rid of the Scottish contingent in Labour; they are are huge millstone around Labour's neck. Murphy, Alexander, Curran et al, must get moved to the backbenches; they are a liability to Labour; besides, Murphy et al are planning a coup. Talk about conflicting interests !................................................................. Other than that, 'Brother David' is right to advise his 'Brother Ed', but more-so to give Kinnock and Hattersley the boot to the backstalls !

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ItsTime

Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 04:52 PM

#2 Dunno, I will need to try and ask Alex's chief economic advisor the SNP loon who appointed Fred the Pleb, the very wealthy George (Give me the Money) Mathewson.

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2

nott-hamishh

Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 04:34 PM

How do you expect a party so full of multi-millionaires including the 2 Miliband property investors to be able to think about anything except getting 'filthy rich'? Nothing wrong with that says the 'financially advantaged' multi-millionaire Mandelson, Blair, Mrs Blair, Balls, Benn, Benn junior et al from their castles and mansions, not to mention their lordship 'socialists' Prescott, Foulkes, Kinnock (forgot to include him among the multi-millionaires with Mrs Lady Kinnock), Hattersley Watson etc. When did any of them ever visit their 'core voters' in the sink estates to try to help them out of their deprivation?

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mordor

Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 02:04 PM

I ama sure that they will commission a report that will come back with the appropriate amount of 'buzz phrases' with some other words inbetween to fill in the gaps between the buzzwords.... I am guessing that the words 'radical', 'future-oriented', 'understanding the voter', 'being in touch', 'on the ball', 'more business-like', 'professional organisation', 'reaching out', 'understanding' and so forth will be prominent......This will be a 'radical review' which concludes by asking for a 'radical review' into this radical review which will then be followed by a further 'radical review' into the former 'radical review'..........or as we call it in the real world: 'utter pants'.

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