Labour leadership « Labour Uncut

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Saturday News Review

26/06/2010, 08:07:05 AM

The first out of the blocks

“David Miliband received an early boost in the battle for the Labour Party leadership as he secured the backing of one of Britain’s biggest trade unions yesterday. The Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw), which has 386,000 members, became the first union to endorse one of the five candidates for the leadership.” – The Independent

“General secretary John Hannett said: “David is a long-time friend of Usdaw and is someone who really understands the needs and aspirations of our members.” – The Shields Gazette

Daily roundup

“Mr Cable told the Standard: “I was angry. I was trying to restrain my anger and give a reasoned response. He was trying to wind me up. “The Labour people are being very provocative but it is having no effect. The coalition is solid. I think the behaviour of people like Ed Balls does not reflect well on them and I don’t think the public find it attractive.” Labour has launched a campaign to embarrass Left-leaning Lib-Dems known to have felt uncomfortable about going into government with Tories.” – Evening Standard

“Despite widespread public unease about the war and the British mission, none of the major political party leaderships oppose the deployment or significantly question the current Western strategy. But is that about to change? The Labour leadership election has seen recently-removed Cabinet members chucking the party’s former policies overboard with gay abandon: the Iraq war, mass immigration and even European integration have all been decried by various men called Ed or Miliband or both.” – The Telegraph

“Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham used the social networking site Twitter to exclaim ‘god bless the Treasury’. ‘Lansley’s on a 1-man mission to turn NHS from order to chaos. They’re right to block him,’ he wrote.” – Healthcare Republic

Welsh issues

“Labour’s leadership election in Wales saw a genuine battle of ideas that was good for the party. One can only hope that now nominations have closed, the same will be true of the UK leadership contest. It matters to Labour in Wales that Labour in Great Britain is in a position to win again at the next general election. But a battle of the bland won’t do it for us. So let’s see the same preparedness to argue out ideas that we had in Wales last year, rather than a rolling-out of platitudes. Hyperactivity is no substitute for deep thinking. A leadership election should not be a form of distraction therapy after a political defeat.” – The Guardian

“Labour leadership frontrunner David Miliband has stepped into the row between Europe and America over Government loans to the Airbus factory in Flintshire. During a visit to the site yesterday he defended the aircraft manufacturer which is embroiled in a bitter row over alleged illegal subsidies for the development of new airliners.” – The Daily Post

Education matters

“Labour leadership contender Ed Miliband believes UK universities could be better funded if graduates were to pay extra tax rather than tuition fees. Writing in today’s Guardian, Miliband says he would consult vice-chancellors and universities to produce a plan to replace tuition fees with a graduate tax.” – The Guardian

“The government’s academies programme is a “Trojan horse for selection”, the shadow schools secretary says today, as he tables an amendment to legislation that, if passed, would block academies from being allowed to cherrypick pupils. Ed Balls claims a mechanism he brought in to allow good schools to expand will now be used by the Tories to give grammar schools the right to do the same, in a “perversion” of the system.” – The Guardian

London leadership

“On Thursday, the Labour party announced that its two principal contenders to be Labour’s mayoral candidate in 2012 would be the former mayor Ken Livingstone and Oona King. Earlier this week, the London Evening Standard reported that Johnson had been “toying with the idea” of running for a mayoral second term and is expected to declare his candidacy in the next few weeks. A spokeswoman for the Liberal Democrats said that the party was aware of Öpik’s desire to run, but added that no decision had been made on who would stand as the Lib Dem candidate.” – The Guardian

State of the race

“On the hustings, Abbott has proved the left of the Labour Party has attractive and relevant policies. Scrapping the hugely expensive weapon of mass destruction that is son of Trident can be popular with the electorate and earns loud applause from audiences whenever she raises it. The living wage has been adopted as one of Ed Miliband’s selling points. David Miliband publicly acknowledges that George W Bush was a disaster for Britain and the world. Ed Balls and Andy Burnham concede that Labour lost touch with traditional, working-class voters who are the party’s base.” – Kevin Maguire, Tribune

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Friday News Review

25/06/2010, 07:22:18 AM

Liberal lies and more post budget fallout

“Labour leadership candidate Ed Miliband seized on Mr Hughes’s remarks as evidence that cracks were beginning to appear in the coalition. Privately, LibDems are concerned that capital gains tax was not raised enough for those on high wages.” – The Daily Mail

“What’s really going on is that Paddy Ashdown would love to have been Deputy Prime Minister and he has leader envy. He sits there looking at two nodding Lib-Dem dogs on the front bench and he’s not one of them. And it hurts.” – David Miliband, The Mirror

“Two things in life are inevitable, said Benjamin Franklin, death and taxes. The Conservatives campaigned against “Labour’s death tax” and against “Labour’s jobs tax”. But Labour left it to the Lib Dems to campaign against the Tory VAT tax bombshell. So how will Labour characterise the VAT rise that will bring an end to the New Year sales? They’ve got a little time to work it out…” – The New Statesman

“Labour leadership contender Ed Balls makes clear in today’s Mirror, VAT is a regressive Tory levy on the people of Britain. Mr Osborne’s raid on ordinary, hard-working families was avoidable.” – The Mirror

“The Labour leadership contenders have all declared that they will vote against the legislation to enable “free schools”. But once the genie of choice is out of the bottle, it is a brave socialist who tries to stuff it back in. Parents who send their children to these schools will have reason and motivation to vote Conservative as long as Labour opposes them.” – The Telegraph

Housing takes to the stage

“David Miliband – “For me, community is one of the things that makes life worth living. And while it’s often said how fast moving the modern world is, a sense of belonging to the place where we live is still just as important as ever. That’s my starting point for thinking about housing policy.” – Inside Housing

“Abbott also predicted that, “I am going to see thousands of people in London evicted precisely as a consequence of these housing benefit changes.” Is she right?” – The Guardian

The other race

“Labour nationally is now going through a process of renewal and change to a new generation of leadership. We in London need to do the same and choose a mayoral candidate for 2012 who reflects the modern 21st century London. London is a dynamic vibrant melting pot of different cultures. We need new leadership which reflects that dynamism and vitality. We need a…” – Mike Gapes, Progress

Eyes down under

“When Julia Gillard’s family emigrated to Australia from South Wales in 1966, little did they dream that their daughter would make history as the country’s first female prime minister. Yesterday, after her predecessor, Kevin Rudd, was unceremoniously dumped by his own party, Ms Gillard was sworn in – appropriately enough by the nation’s first female Governor-General, Quentin Bryce.” – The Independent

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Thursday News Review

24/06/2010, 10:55:45 AM

The fightback goes on…

Liberal Lines

“LABOUR leadership contender Ed Miliband launched a withering attack on the Liberal Democrats during a trip to the Senedd yesterday, accusing them of selling out their principles to prop up a right-wing Tory Government.” – Western Mail

“How can the Liberals support a Budget which puts 100,000 more people out of work while raising the only tax that the unemployed have to pay? And what about charities that help the elderly and the poor? The Charity Tax Reform Group says the Budget will cost charities in Britain at least £140million a year in higher VAT bills. That’s equal to the total money raised on the last three nights of Comic Relief.” – Ed Balls, The Mirror (more…)

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Wednesday News Review

23/06/2010, 07:53:04 AM

Labour’s fightback

“While Labour fights a leadership contest and Lib Dems wonder whether they can change the voting system as a reward for their loyalty, Osborne needs to win the argument that his measures are “unavoidable” – a word that recurred in his speech as often as “progressive”. The term is another convenient one, implying that there is no other course and therefore challenge is futile. Margaret Thatcher famously argued in the 1980s that there was no alternative to her policies. Osborne did not repeat the phrase, but “unavoidable” has precisely the same meaning and serves the same purpose.” – The Independent (more…)

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Burnham to manage England website team

21/06/2010, 04:38:22 PM

As reported previously, Andy Burnham’s website was hopeless: no-style over no-substance. So we were pleased when we heard the site had gone fully live and was now populated.

Unbelievably, the site has got worse. Honestly. Gone is the two-tone picture of him looking like Kraftwerk, and in its place his flagship leadership campaign, Save the Future Jobs Fund. A worthwhile campaign which includes a petition. A petition that publishes its signatories online. A petition that lets you choose not to join his mailing list, and publishes this online too. A petition that is signed by twenty people. Which is published online.

We’re all for transparency but come on Team Burnham, you’re making your boy look silly. The Milibands have armies of bright young things, gaggles of them, chanting and tweeting and strategising. They’ve got pictures, they’ve got videos, they’re on twitter, they’re on flickr, and they’re on facebook. Even Ed Balls, who only launched his website last week, has done a better job than Burnham, although the Coronation Street themed banner is a little dodge. Diane Abbott’s website is yet to be populated with any real content – and it’s still better than Burnham’s.

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I trust Ed Balls to fight our corner, says Stacey McNamara

21/06/2010, 08:46:10 AM

I joined the Labour party when I was 15. Tony Blair had just won his famous landslide victory. I was impressed by his charisma and the effect his campaign had on the national mood. And Labour was part of my community, part of my childhood experience. I’ve always known how central politics is to people’s lives. And it’s important who the party leader is. It was important to me that Tony Blair was the leader back in 1997.

And I think it really matters who the new leader is now. That’s why I wanted to write this article to explain why I am supporting Ed Balls. One of the main reasons I am backing him is because of his economic strength and experience. I feel that his unparalleled economic experience and knowledge can help us be a strong opposition at a time when economics are at the very centre of our battle with the Lib Dem-Conservative coalition. While they are making swinging cuts all around, I believe he has not only the knowledge but the strength of character to resist.

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Monday News Review

21/06/2010, 08:16:10 AM

The Leadership Race

“Ed Balls has hailed himself as a “winner” as he set out why he is the best man to replace Gordon Brown as Labour leader. The shadow education secretary said he had successfully fought the Tories and BNP to secure his Commons seat as he insisted he was “in touch” and a “team player”.” – The Mirror

“There’s always this assumption if you’re a black person who’s done something, that someone has given you a bye. That you’re less qualified than the white equivalent. In this race I’d argue that if anything, with the exception of not having been a New Labour minister I’m more qualified.” –Diane Abbott, The Mirror

“I look at the Labour party leadership election through the eyes of an MP who won a seat against the odds. Labour had its worst result for decades and the Conservatives won. It’s no good pretending otherwise. I want Labour win the next election. But it must for a better reason than merely being back in power.” – Gisela Stewart, Progress

“I want to learn from Labour in Scotland because the way the party have come back from a difficult result a few years ago is a model and inspiration. As leader of the Labour Party, winning back control of the Scottish parliament would be my first priority.” – Andy Burnham, The Daily Record

Collaborator?

“Public sector workers across the country will be deeply concerned to have a review of their pensions sprung upon them on a Sunday morning – without proper consultation. They will be particularly worried given the comments by David Cameron and Nick Clegg in recent days about their desire for cuts to public sector pensions. The Government must make clear that the findings have not been pre-empted.” – The Independent

“Labour leadership contender Diane Abbott said Mr Hutton would be the Government’s ‘pensions- slasher-in- chief ‘, while Left-wing Labour MP Paul Flynn said ‘collaborator’ was ‘too nice a word’ for him.” – The Mail

Finally

“So we already know what Labour’s broad response to this week’s Budget will look like. But it got me a-wondering: what will their response to next year’s Budget be? This may sound like idle speculation” – The Spectator

“David Miliband, the shadow foreign secretary, has offered a token of support to Tony Hayward after the embattled BP chief executive came under fierce criticism for going sailing around the Isle of Wight.” – The Telegraph

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The case for David Miliband, by Alex Norris

18/06/2010, 04:41:07 PM

Our crisis is clear to see: a Conservative and Liberal Democrat government stripping people of the best that a state can deliver for them – from the future jobs fund to free swimming for under-16s and the over-60s.

But our opportunity is just as clear: we have a chance while in opposition to reassert our credentials as both the party of the progressives in this country and the future party of government. These dual goals must be our only priorities. There is no point in being progressives without governing, and no point governing without being progressive. All five candidates address these two points to varying degrees, but only one is sufficiently able to do both: David Miliband. (more…)

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Labour leadership desert island discs

18/06/2010, 10:16:54 AM

Next week sees the start of Uncut’s Labour leadership desert island discs series. Eight music tracks, a book, a film, a website and a luxury. One of the Miliband brothers to kick off, depending which gets his answers in first.

It would be interesting to hear your predictions. Will any of them actually just pick the 8 records they like best? Is there any real chance they will come clean with the Tina Turner and the Mantovani?

Or are they cloistered with their top aides as we speak, agonising over whether Billy Bragg is de rigeur, de trop, passé or just beyond the pale?

And what single book can the boffiny Miliband boys possibly elevate above all others? All those years of wonking, all that policy. How can they possibly fit it all into one book? Will they even try?

Two years ago almost to the day, Ed Balls did a dry run when he hosted a one-man show in his father’s Norfolk village featuring “music, readings and reminiscences” which gave a “personal insight into the life of a high-profile politician”. It was titled: “With Great Pleasure”. Really.

Diane Abbott is the only one of the five who has actually been on BBC Radio 4’s desert island discs programme. Which raises difficult editorial questions for Uncut: should she be allowed to pick different tunes? Or obliged to? Or disqualified? Or what? This playing field is not level. And modern politics abhors – more than anything – an unlevel playing field.

All contributions gratefully received below.

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The awesome ruthlessness of Ed Miliband

17/06/2010, 12:06:04 PM

There is an excellent piece by James Macintyre on the Miliband brothers in this week’s New Statesman. We recommend it.

It is surprising that more hasn’t been written about the extraordinary circumstance of these two brothers contesting the Labour leadership. There have been endless passing references, but little of depth.

To all but the most partisan observer, it seems almost certain to be one of these two who succeeds Gordon Brown.

The magnitude of Ed’s decision to stand against his older brother has also been under-scrutinised. This is no fault of his. He has consistently said that it was the most difficult decision he has ever made.

He says so in an attempt to neutralise adverse reaction from those who see it as an unnatural act. There are shades of Sophocles and Aeschylus in this younger brother’s eleventh hour assault on his beloved elder. (more…)

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