Labour at war as old hands urge Ed Miliband to spell out policies and stop protesting about everything the government does
Labour heavyweights have piled further
pressure on Ed Miliband to clarify his policies and stop protesting
about everything the Government does.
Three former Cabinet ministers – John Reid, David Blunkett and Tessa Jowell – yesterday urged the Labour leader to follow Tony Blair’s advice and offer a positive alternative for voters rather than simply criticising the status quo.
Lord Reid, who held nine Cabinet posts, said Labour will not be ready for government until it spells out policies on key issues.
‘I think what [Mr Miliband] now
has to do is to set out the direction of future Labour government on
questions like welfare, on the economy, on housing and so on,’ he said.
‘The important thing is to recognise that, as you move from the politics of opposition to the politics of a potential government, that you have to be offering solutions and not just criticising the status quo.’
Lord Reid also dismissed the view of Mr Miliband and his guru Lord Wood of Anfield that the political centre ground is shifting to the Left.
Mr Blair last week wrote a lengthy critique of the direction Mr Miliband has taken the party, warning that Labour has become a ‘repository for people’s anger’.
But Mr Miliband dismissed the concerns saying his ‘One Nation Labour’ wants to look to the future not the past.
In an article yesterday David Blunkett said Mr Blair and others were trying to provoke debate about the party’s future. In a Sky News interview the former home secretary said Labour would be ‘literally going nowhere’ if senior members could not voice their views.
Mr Blunkett said: ‘We’ve got to have the confidence to be able to say where we’re going, not just a narrative about what the Government is doing.’
He added: ‘One Nation cannot and should never be simply the avoidance of the most obvious injustice or collective suicide. It has to be about a great deal more than politics built on grievance and the unhappiness of a resentful and selfish public sphere.’
Former culture secretary Dame Tessa Jowell said Tony Blair still had a lot to offer British politics and compared him to Bill Clinton. She said: ‘If it is simply a kind of combustible relationship where any intervention by Tony Blair is seen as unwelcome, unhelpful … then I think that is destructive.
‘If you take someone like Bill Clinton … he is a kind of honoured, experienced older statesman that still has value and currency … and I think exactly the same applies to the Labour party now and Tony Blair.’
A multi-millionaire former tax exile, who has pledged up to £1million to help Mr Miliband win the next election, said the Labour leader was ‘committed to making a difference’.
Property magnate Andrew Rosenfeld gave £500,000 last year. The latest pledge could see him become Labour’s biggest backer outside the unions.
Mr Rosenfeld made an estimated £100million before spending five years in Switzerland, a move he insists was for lifestyle reasons. While there, he paid Swiss taxes but not British capital gains or income tax. Mr Miliband has attacked ‘predatory’ capitalists, tax avoidance and the use of offshore tax havens, and acceptance of the money will lead to accusations of hypocrisy from the Conservatives.
Three former Cabinet ministers – John Reid, David Blunkett and Tessa Jowell – yesterday urged the Labour leader to follow Tony Blair’s advice and offer a positive alternative for voters rather than simply criticising the status quo.
Lord Reid, who held nine Cabinet posts, said Labour will not be ready for government until it spells out policies on key issues.
Policies: Ed Miliband has tried to downplay Tony Blair's assertion that Labour has become a ‘repository for people’s anger’
‘The important thing is to recognise that, as you move from the politics of opposition to the politics of a potential government, that you have to be offering solutions and not just criticising the status quo.’
Lord Reid also dismissed the view of Mr Miliband and his guru Lord Wood of Anfield that the political centre ground is shifting to the Left.
Mr Blair last week wrote a lengthy critique of the direction Mr Miliband has taken the party, warning that Labour has become a ‘repository for people’s anger’.
In an article yesterday David Blunkett said Mr Blair and others were trying to provoke debate about the party’s future. In a Sky News interview the former home secretary said Labour would be ‘literally going nowhere’ if senior members could not voice their views.
Mr Blunkett said: ‘We’ve got to have the confidence to be able to say where we’re going, not just a narrative about what the Government is doing.’
He added: ‘One Nation cannot and should never be simply the avoidance of the most obvious injustice or collective suicide. It has to be about a great deal more than politics built on grievance and the unhappiness of a resentful and selfish public sphere.’
Former culture secretary Dame Tessa Jowell said Tony Blair still had a lot to offer British politics and compared him to Bill Clinton. She said: ‘If it is simply a kind of combustible relationship where any intervention by Tony Blair is seen as unwelcome, unhelpful … then I think that is destructive.
‘If you take someone like Bill Clinton … he is a kind of honoured, experienced older statesman that still has value and currency … and I think exactly the same applies to the Labour party now and Tony Blair.’
A multi-millionaire former tax exile, who has pledged up to £1million to help Mr Miliband win the next election, said the Labour leader was ‘committed to making a difference’.
Property magnate Andrew Rosenfeld gave £500,000 last year. The latest pledge could see him become Labour’s biggest backer outside the unions.
Mr Rosenfeld made an estimated £100million before spending five years in Switzerland, a move he insists was for lifestyle reasons. While there, he paid Swiss taxes but not British capital gains or income tax. Mr Miliband has attacked ‘predatory’ capitalists, tax avoidance and the use of offshore tax havens, and acceptance of the money will lead to accusations of hypocrisy from the Conservatives.
- ED Miliband fell and broke his left wrist a week ago while walking in the hills above Dartmouth, Devon, aides revealed yesterday. He had a minor operation to set the broken bone.
Observations: Dame Tessa Jowell, pictured, has compared Tony Blair's status now to that of Bill Clinton