The Blairites rally to Miliband's cause
Peter Hoskin 9:00am
One of the more startling aspects of the nascent Labour leadership struggle is just how quickly it’s dissolved into a Blairite-Brownite feud. Of course, it helps that David Milband – the key, would-be challenger – was one of Blair’s most trusted lieutenants. Then that Blair memo appeared, to stoke the flames of internecine struggle. And now the papers report that Blairites such as Charles Clarke and Stephen Byers are drafting a series of policy challenges and proposals – their aim being to keep up pressure on Brown, and boost David Miliband’s cause.
The Blairites will be loving every minute of it. After Brown’s decade as Chancellor – during which he did everything he could to undermine Project Blair – this is their chance to exact revenge. And they intend to be brutal about it. But if they successfully enact Phase 1 of the plan, by getting Miliband into power, will they be happy with Phase 2 – a Miliband government? I’m not so sure. There are plenty of warning signs that Miliband will not be all that the Blairites expect him to be. As James argued last week, Miliband may be mislabelled as a Blairite – a possibility that seems even more likely after Polly Toynbee’s endorsement of him on Saturday. And that’s before he starts wooing the union vote that he’ll need to both attain and maintain power.
Of course, the argument goes that you can't assess a leader before he's in power. But, by then, the Blairites may find that they've helped bring about a government that's even more left-wing than Brown's.
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Comments
JONNY
August 4th, 2008 11:20amJust wondering where Miliband hides his Dorian Gray portrait.
In a disused broom cupboard somewhere among the cobwebs in a cob-webbed attic atop the FO? Must be careful some dear old cleaner doesn't stumble upon it.
Matthew Blott
August 4th, 2008 11:36amCan you provide any evidence that this government is left wing? Raising taxes on the poor to fund middle class tax cuts reclassifying Cannibis from grade C to B, incarcerating individuals for up to 42 days is not left wing.
John Page
August 4th, 2008 12:15pmHighly amusing how the doings of people like Byers are reported with bated breath. In a deceitful government, Byers' deceit was outstanding, but what did he achieve apart from notoriety and derision? Clarke failed all ends up at the Home Office. And we are asked to take these people seriously?
Ian C
August 4th, 2008 2:57pmAny regime that bangs on about equality over financial robustness and defence of the realm is a left wing government. Equality is something you have to be able to afford and defend.
David Lindsay
August 4th, 2008 5:00pmTony Blair (the most hubristic and vacuous Prime Minister ever), Stephen Byers, Alan Milburn, Charles Clarke, blah, blah, blah. What, you mean that these people are still alive? Next you'll be saying that David Miliband is Foreign Secretary and might one day become Prime Minster. Pull the other one!
Time was when Labour expelled parties within the party, including two sitting MPs who were members of one in the Nineties, and half a dozen who were in the Forties. It should do the same in this case.
But it won't, because there really isn't anyone else left in it. Alas that the SDP was defined by the two issues on which it was wrong - its betrayal of Gaitskellism over Europe, and its betrayal of Christian Socialism over nuclear weapons. And alas that it was tied up with the decadent social libertinism of Roy Jenkins and the comprehensive school mania of Shirley Williams. This time round, we will be making no such mistakes.
Nicholas
August 4th, 2008 5:09pmMatthew, left wing in the same way that Hitler's national socialists, the soviets, East Germans and Pol Pot were sort of left wing. Cynical, manipulative, power hungry, authoritarian, totalitarian, ruthless, inefficient, mired in bureaucracy, vain, arrogant, pretending to do one thing whilst actually doing another, pretensions of grandeur, unrealistic ideology, image fantasy, rabble rousing, demonising minorities, state orchestrated propaganda imposing, state policing, rallying, song-singing, flag waving (red in this case without the swastika), mythologising, nepotistic, corrupt, cliquish, setting children against parents, neighbours against neighbours, brainwashing in schools. All performed in the misguided belief that hybrid left wing New Labour socialism-lite is good for everyone and has a destiny to govern.
Me, I don't buy it. Don't pretend that left wing politics has ever brought anything other than misery, persecution and the murder of millions across the globe. If I was a socialist I would feel deeply ashamed at the record.
J H Holloway
August 4th, 2008 5:54pmOh dear. The old 'cannabis' line...
When 'cannabis' appears on the periodic table as an unchanging element, we could have conversation about its use and effects.
But as you have absolutely no idea what 'cannabis' - as sold on streets - actual contains, re-classification is the only option.
After all, traveling at 80mph can be very safe in many circumstances.
But all governments have agreed that not all drivers are equally skilled, alert or driving cars of the same calibre.
So the speed limit errs on the safe side....and the same should apply to drugs policy.
Marian c
August 5th, 2008 12:48amNicholas; here, here