Is Milburn just the ticket for Miliband?
Peter Hoskin 3:08am
Today's Telegraph reports that David Miliband has lined up Alan Milburn to be his Chancellor, should he manage to oust Gordon Brown from office. A good move by Team Miliband? Well, Milburn is certainly a capable political performer, and his presence will help solidify Blairite support. But two potential problems spring to mind.
The first is that, whilst Milburn is popular with the Blairites, he is anathema to the Brownites and to the left of the party (remember the unions' response when he was appointed as Labour's general election co-ordinator for 2005?). In a struggle that is rapidly reducing into a Blairite vs Brownite feud, the received wisdom is that Miliband needs to look for support beyond his usual ideological base. That means making ties with the Labour left, not breaking them.
The second problem is that Milburn has been away from the political frontline for some time now. He was last a member of the Cabinet in 2005. Will the public be happy seeing him at the helm of the British economy, particularly when it's going through a particularly rocky period? Will he inspire confidence in voters? You have to be uncertain, at best.
One final point: that Milburn is involving himself in moves to topple Brown is unsurprising. Political Betting's Mike Smithson reported on a rumour that Milburn himself was to challenge for the top job last May. And in a recent interview by Fraser - well worth reading again, in light of recent developments - the keen Blairite hinted at his dissatisfaction with the Brown government:
"To put it politely ... the government is not in a great position. Do I think the next election is lost? No. But we need to get ahead of the curve. There are all these concerns about getting the process right, getting the narrative right."
Presumably, Milburn thinks that David Miliband can get the process and the narrative right. And that he's a man who can help.
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Comments
mitch
August 6th, 2008 5:45amOut here in the real world nobody knows who he is or Milliband for that matter.
Westminster Monkey
August 6th, 2008 5:55ammitch: the real world? You're commenting on a political blog at quarter to 6 in the morning. Unless, of course, you're outside of GMT. But still....
Tim
August 6th, 2008 7:34amMitch is half-right: real people in the country detest both these Millipedes equally, that is, wholeheartedly in both cases.
But the hacks are still reporting excitedly on this latest rearrangement of deckchairs on the sinking Titanic.
Austin Barry
August 6th, 2008 8:06amNu Labour's dance of death is becoming tedious. They're just shuffling the line-up in front of us, the electoral firing squad. As they play their incestuous little games we look on in sullen contempt and wait for the order to fire.
Neil Ist
August 6th, 2008 8:10amMilburn's ghastly. A careerist creep, just like the rest of them. Why does anyone even mention his name, anymore? He's a shot bolt.
Gordon Musgo
August 6th, 2008 8:57amRemind me again why he's not in the cabinet right now? Is he the one who got away with the massive railtrack fiddle? Or am I thinking of another bloody nonentity?
Gordon Musgo
August 6th, 2008 9:02amSo, that was another of them. I couldn't remember who Milburn was. I read his wikipedia entry, no help. However, he seems to have quit to spend time with his family. I don't see why they should be deprived of his presence now.
Ed
August 6th, 2008 9:12amToday brings a new word for politicos to add to their ever growing vocabulary: MILBURNIBAND.
Frank Pulley
August 6th, 2008 9:29amAll grist to the political Milsomethings I suppose.
Let's change the first vowel in each of their names and we have something more appropriate: Malibands + Malburn = more malpratice - and malign and malfunctioning government.
Silent Hunter
August 6th, 2008 9:53amAustin:
Couldn't have put it better myself.
GENERAL ELECTION.......NOW !
Ian C
August 6th, 2008 10:20amLet's not underestimate the attraction to Lab of putting a whole new series of faces out there to show that they have some prettier ones than GB and AD. And that it may buythem the time they are seeking before having to call an election having sacked GB.
So whatever we may think of Milliband/burn, if they think there is lost capital to be recovered in the brief but dismal Broon days, they will do it.
Frank Pulley
August 6th, 2008 11:02amIan C
I agree, complacency we cannot afford. But as time goes by, it is becoming more obvious that the herd have found other pastures and a change of herders in an empty field won't make much difference. Methinks they've blown it, but vigilance will be maintained. The blogosphere is lethal if it takes against you, as they have found to their cost. Which is why our hosts should stop fratting with the enemy. (Every time I express that last sentiment, my comment gets spiked - am I on to something? It does seem a little cosy in journoland of late).
David Lindsay
August 6th, 2008 11:21amIs this a joke?
Milburn is a preposterous figure, whose only job outside publicly funded politics (admittedly, one more than Miliband has ever had) was running a Trotskyist bookshop called Days of Hope, known to its clientele as Haze of Dope.
Still, a Miliband-Milburn ticket would at least expose once and for all the true character of New Labour as the device whereby utterly unrepentant old Communists (the Miliband dynasty, John Reid, Peter Mandelson...), Trotskyists (Milburn, Stephen Byers, Tony McNulty...) and fellow-travellers (Charles Clarke, Harriet Harman, Patricia Hewitt, Tony Blair...), having long turned away from economics and towards the culture wars as the means to their ultimate ends, infiltrated, took over and destroyed the party of Attlee, Bevin, Morrison, Bevan and Gaitskell.
Paul B
August 6th, 2008 11:24amFrank Pulley -like it. Why would anyone vote for the pair of tghem when they have both beenm heavily involved in the criminally MALADROIT & MAlLPHEASANT running of the country for what now seems a lifetime.
Ed Rivers
August 6th, 2008 11:49amThese political divisions within the labour ranks add to the publics view that this has more to do with protecting Labour Mps and less to do with solving national problems. Whether we are hearing of Miliband, Miliburn, Jackie Smith or Ed Balls from the publics perspective they are non-entities. Labour "leadership", the term has become a joke. Lets stop procrastinating and have an Election.
The Laughing Cavalier
August 6th, 2008 12:16pmAlan "Haze of dope" Milburn?Does he have the intellect for it?
Matthew Blott
August 6th, 2008 1:08pmPredictably venemous posts on the whole but I'll try to get back to the point all the same. I give this story a 3 out of 10 for accuracy, it's become apparent over the past few days there is a Stop Miliband bandwagon rolling as much as the Foreign Secretary's has started. And what better way to shore up anti-Miliband sentiment than to suggest he is in the pockets of what we must now describe as "uber-Blairites" by promoting a story that Milbern - hated on the left - could soon become Chancellor?
Verity
August 6th, 2008 1:12pmPaul B - What is a 'mailpheasant'? An avian postal carrier?
Agree about all these Mili people. They are as indistinguishable as ants. The one in the photo above, though, doesn't just look malign, but criminally insane.
Doug
August 6th, 2008 2:26pmMost contributers seem to talk like labour are dead in the water...I'm not so sure. People still hate the Tories - it's just that they hate Brown even more. If you remember before 97 we had Tory bad, Labour good and we're just not getting the reverse of that at the moment. I do think that with a new leader and an improvement in the economy they could steal the next election. I hope I'm wrong as I want rid of this lot as much s anybody but I just advise caution in the rush to dump the conservative's biggest electoral asset.
Verity
August 6th, 2008 2:35pmI was going to suggest that if there's ever a remake of Psycho, the Mili above could be cast in the title role. But, on reflection, he doesn't look as well-balanced as Norman Bates.
Matthew Blott
August 6th, 2008 2:43pm@ Verity
Crass comment, you can capture anyone in a bad photo and say they look dodgy. Cheap.
Paul B
August 6th, 2008 3:10pmVerity lol-blame a Shirly Williams education in a comprehensive-but underlying iQ is ok I think - of course it should be-malfeasant
Ann
August 6th, 2008 3:11pmMilburn is pretty??? What ARE you on?
Predictable nonsense from ZanuLab apparatchiks like Matthew, who whine about 'venom' from the electorate when the latter have been shafted by the former for many years. Sorry, darling: we are not your compliant serfs, so stick that in your pipe.
Huw Jampton
August 6th, 2008 3:28pmForgive me if I'm wrong here (and feel free to correct me if I am) but I think that a sitting Prime Minister can call an election any time he / she wants. I would not at all be surprised if GB were to call a general election upon reaching the point where he is about to be deposed. It would be political suicide for Labour, of course, but I for one would have considerable sympathy for GB's taking down the treacherous plotters with him.
I wonder if he's already privately threatened his colleagues with this 'Armageddon Option' . . .
Ian C
August 6th, 2008 4:19pmThe other angle not discussed here is that a challenge will result in Lab. having a a good old fight but wil be done as quickly as can be. So they are damned if they hold back from sacking Broon but damned if they do.
The calculation is simple if uncomfortable - which is worse for them and which enables them to keep their jobs longest? This especially includes the calculations of the most influential decision makers in the party who may calculate better to lose some of their number in the Spring under 'Millis band' than to lose all/most of their jobs under Broon in 2009/10, but probably Oct 2009.
Austin Barry
August 6th, 2008 4:34pmOliver Reed used to say that film acting required only two expressions, 'Moody One' and 'Moody Two'. For a politician it is probably 'Gravitas One' (see Milburn above) and 'Trying for Charisma' (i.e. mad glazed smiling - see G. Brown).
Nicholas
August 6th, 2008 4:56pmLooks creepy, sounds creepy - not just in that weird photo but everytime I have seen or heard him. In that respect he should fit right in with New Labour's Addams Family & Munsters hybrids.
Can't wait to see the back of them all.
Matthew Blott
August 6th, 2008 5:37pm@ Ann
What have I said that is nonsense?
Verity
August 6th, 2008 6:27pmNulabour's Addams Family! I like it! The Frilli-Millis. Andy Warhol, whose birthday would have been today, bless him, would have the Millis as he specialised in vacuity.
Matthew Blott - that is one creepy dude. So are you. Matthew Munster.
mitch
August 6th, 2008 6:41pmIm an early bird with a real job making stuff. I also like to know whats going on.
Ann
August 6th, 2008 7:32pmYou are quite right, Huw; but sympathy for the utter creep MacPorkies, who has lied to the country for the last 11 years and caused untold damage through his stupidity, incompetence and megalomania???
Ann
August 6th, 2008 7:33pmMatthew whines about 'Predictably venemous posts' and calls other people'a posts 'crass' - beyond parody!
Marian C
August 6th, 2008 8:57pm"Forgive me if I'm wrong here (and feel free to correct me if I am) but I think that a sitting Prime Minister can call an election any time he / she wants. I would not at all be surprised if GB were to call a general election upon reaching the point where he is about to be deposed. It would be political suicide for Labour, of course, but I for one would have considerable sympathy for GB's taking down the treacherous plotters with him"
Huw - I have wondered the same thing; it wouldn't surprise me at all if GB did call an election just to pull the rug from under those within the Labour party who may dare to oppose his Leadership / Authority e.g. Millipede.
And yes, I think your comment "I wonder if he's already privately threatened his colleagues with this 'Armageddon Option' . . ."
That is probably true also, hence the lack of those willing to openly challenge GB's leadership of the party.
Nicholas
August 7th, 2008 7:47amThey're creepy and they're kooky,
Mysterious and spooky,
They're all together ooky,
The Labour family.