Miliband wants to build a party to grab back power
Leadership candidate David Miliband has vowed to build the Labour party to dethrone the coalition government at the next election
The Shadow Foreign Secretary told an audience of readers and Labour party members at the Lancashire Evening Post’s offices in Preston on Thursday that he wanted to “energise and reunite” the party.
He spoke of his decision not to run against then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown in 2007, despite being told by former PM Tony Blair that he could dethrone the then-leader, and his plans to tackle the economy, education and crime.
Of the revelation that in Mr Blair’s autobiography this week had told him he could win the leadership battle three years ago, Mr Miliband said: “Memoirs are about the past, we have to be about a Labour party which supports the future.
“After we lost the 1931 general election we were out of power for 14 years, after we lost 1961 election we were out of power for 13 years, after he lost 1979 election we were out of power for 18 years, so we need to choose a leader which stands the best chance of bucking the trend that when we lose we are out of power for a very long time.
“When we are out for a long time, the country gets reshaped in a way which is very dangerous for ordinary families.”
The 45-year-old, who also visited BAE Systems factory in Samlesbury, near Preston during his visit, is fighting against his brother, Ed, former Health Secretary Andy Burnham, ex-Education Secretary Ed Balls, and Diane Abbott in the race for the party leadership.
The result is due to be announced on September 25.
n Read about David Miliband’s visit to Preston in Friday’s Evening Post.
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Comments
There are 9 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
Frenchwoody
Tuesday, October 5, 2010 at 06:05 PMThis story should be archived by now. We all know what the result was.
Al Batros
Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 04:58 PMThere's no sell out, just pragmatism. The working class aren't big enough in numbers to win power and never have been. Modern politics is about getting a core vote and a good number of the not so obvious ones. In general that means spreading your largesse which purists think is a sell out. Purists are always on a limb as there is a natural law in a moderate society that extreme views are only held by a small minority while most people huddle in the middle ground, as in a Gaussian Distribution.
Frenchwoody
Saturday, September 4, 2010 at 06:17 PMAbsolutely no chance with a haircut like that! * Seriously though, he's just New Labour mark 2 and most of us have seen through that con. We need a new type of politics: greener, more emotionally intelligent, more honest and less subservient to the USA. Dream on, eh?
River
Friday, September 3, 2010 at 08:43 AMHaving read extracts of both Mandelson and Blair's autobiographies, and experienced their rule, it's clear to me that the New Labour crew were deeply cynical calculating individuals, whose greed and mendacity was only outweighed by their lust for power and their willingness to serve the interests of the billionaires and of US foreign policy. They turned their backs on the working class, and everything that Labour once stood for. I see no signs that any of the current Labour leadership candidates are prepared to tell the truth about New Labour, or to properly break with their rotten philosophies.
Ronnie
Thursday, September 2, 2010 at 09:51 PMI attended the David Miliband meeting. He talked about rebalancing the economy so its not as depenendent on the banking sector - including, importantly, boosting manufacturing and green jobs. I believe he has the leadership qualities to get Labour back into power.
John.T
Thursday, September 2, 2010 at 08:46 PMBacking from Tony Blair should have killed his chances stone dead for any real Labour Voter; all Blair was ever interested in was SELF SELF SELF.--- Bring on either Brother ED or Ed Balls they would not have touched George Bush with a barge pole.
Diesel10
Thursday, September 2, 2010 at 08:20 PMIts difficult for men with very thick hair, thats the basis of his poor cut and I'd prefer to be called Miliband than Balls. Other than that I think he's quite fit and I hate Labour - hows that for open mindedness?!
im a pc
Thursday, September 2, 2010 at 06:05 PMmiliband .... what a horrible last name
Frenchwoody
Thursday, September 2, 2010 at 05:43 PMWith that haircut? No chance.
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