Fraser Nelson Fraser Nelson

Miliband’s plan for the country

The exchange that follows is not a spoof. It happened on the Today programme this morning and simply defies parody. David Miliband is taking of the need for “radical change”. James Naughtie says that it “failed to occur”. He replies: “No no no. It did occur on the economy. You cannot deny that we have been anything but extremely radical on the economy.” Nor would I deny it. But to suggest this is a good thing? This, seriously, is what Miliband proposes. It is material that can launch a thousand Tory attack posters: Miliband is literally pointing to the economy, the banking mess, and using it as an example if what Labour can do. In his jaw-dropping phrase, ” It’s our job to make the unconventional conventional”. Here is the full exchange.

DM: Last year I wrote an article saying that ‘we needed a radical new phase in Labour policy’.

JN: But we haven’t had that. That’s the point.

DM: If I had come on this programme last August and said ‘The best example of a radical new phase is the Labour Government to own two thirds of Lloyds Bank, that’s real radicalism’ you’d have said ‘you must be absolutely barking;

JN: But you were forced into that. The idea that this was a choice on the part of the government is absurd, Mr Miliband.

DM: No no no. I’m sorry. It is absurd to say that the government did not choose to own two-thirds of Lloyds Bank

JN: (laughing) It ‘chose’ to own it in the context of the biggest financial crash for 80 years.

DM: And we did the right thing.

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