Mehdi Hasan

Mehdi Hasan’s polemical take on politics, economics and foreign affairs

Where's the shadow cabinet?

If Ed Miliband is under fire, doesn't he need public and visible backing from his frontbench colleagues?

By Mehdi Hasan Published 15 June 2011 19:15

The NS blogger Dan Hodges has referred to it as Ed Miliband's "Bloody Sunday" -- Sunday 12 June. It was the day that the Independent on Sunday, the Observer, the Sunday Times and the Mail on Sunday -- which ran extracts from my new biography of the Labour leader -- all contained stories about plots, coups and threats to Miliband's leadership, specifically from his elder brother, David.

In my feature in tomorrow's New Statesman, I point out that the real damage to Ed Miliband may have been done by his frontbench colleagues, who were nowhere to be seen that Sunday.

From my piece:

The fallout from the book's revelations and the Guardian splash were handled badly by Team Ed. Why was it left to Charles Falconer, the former lord chancellor and close ally of David -- who, admittedly, has since become an informal adviser to the younger Miliband -- to come out in defence of the Labour leader on the BBC?

"The responsibility lies with the shadow cabinet," says a former Labour cabinet minister. "When they were the victim of 'plot' and 'coup' rumours, Tony and Gordon would always use the trick of sending four or five cabinet heavyweights on to the airwaves to shut the story down. If I were Ed, my eyes would be swivelling to Douglas Alexander, Yvette Cooper and Caroline Flint. Why haven't they come out to defend him?"

Good question. Where is the shadow cabinet?

On a side but self-promoting note, you can pre-order my new book Ed: the Milibands and the Making of a Labour Leader, co-authored with James Macintyre, here.

UPDATE:

It has been pointed out to me that the shadow health secretary, John Healey, appeared on Sky News's Murnaghan show and BBC1's Politics Show last Sunday. He also penned pieces in the Independent on Sunday and the News of the World -- though these were on his health brief and not on his leader. He was, therefore, out and about. Nonetheless, I think the wider point still stands. There has been a clear sense that Miliband is on his own, fending for himself at the top of the Labour Party. If he is to succeed over the lifetime of this parliament, then that has to change. A shadow cabinet has to be more than a cabinet of shadows. The leader of a party needs the loud and constant support of his party.

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Tags: Shadow Cabinet Ed Miliband David Miliband UK Politics

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27 comments

Wed, 2011-06-15 20:47 — Joe FD (not verified)

Slightly embarrassing for you, but John Healey was out there praising Ed on Murnaghan and on Politics Show on Sunday. Don't worry, I'm sure you can change this blog and print a correction in the magazine.

Wed, 2011-06-15 20:48 — Arturo Bandini (not verified)

The idea of Caroline Flint as a "heavyweight" is somewhat risible.

Wed, 2011-06-15 20:57 — Paul McCrystal (not verified)

Your new biography of the Labour leader? Really? I must have missed that.

Wed, 2011-06-15 21:25 — mr_wonderful (not verified)

I agree but one thing Ed could do without is people writing cash in book seralised in the Mail On Sunday of all places.

Wed, 2011-06-15 21:26 — thinkov

The Qulity of the shadow cabinet is terrible, Mehdi we need you in the shadow cabinet along with Owen Jones
I despair at Healey,Eagle,Flint Cooper-
tossers

Wed, 2011-06-15 21:45 — adam (not verified)

The problem is the shadow cabinet is packed with legacy light weight Blairite loyalists returned by a gerrymandered Blairite PLP( over many years). Ed Miliband is forced to work with these incompetent but disloyal back stabbers like Flint and Murphy because of the three year rule.

He can't pick his own people, until this dead wood is cleared.

Also the likes of Tony Blair(today)James Purnell, David Miliband and Blunckett sniping from the sidelines doesn't help.

These characters are determined to sabotage Ed from the start.

Wed, 2011-06-15 22:02 — Sanchez (not verified)

It's hard for Shadow Ministers to get on TV and in newspapers to defend their leader if they're not asked or quotes go unpublished.

Wed, 2011-06-15 22:06 — John (not verified)

The Labour Frontbench is not impressive in the slightest. The Lib Dems have a much better front bench and they only have 57 MPs to choose from!

Wed, 2011-06-15 22:57 — martybee (not verified)

Thinkov
Medhi In the shadow cabinet...lol...death of ego..

Thu, 2011-06-16 00:33 — Mike (not verified)

I think part of the problem is the way the shadow cabinet is chosen - I'm sure Ed would get more support if he chose his own shadow ministers.

That way he could have a 'progressive alliance' shadow cabinet, or a 'blue labour' shadow cabinet or a 'socialist (or 'labour)' shadow cabinet rather than a strange combination over which he has no control.

It was clear in the AV debate that Ed couldn't keep his shadow cabinet on message - on subjects that really matter these divisions could be very hurtful.

Welfare reform will be a real problem now Labour have voted against plans which most Blairites would support - how can he get the semi-Blairite shadow cabinet to all say they 'support reform' when they have voted against reforms that Blair himself approves of?

Ed is in a mess, and nobody seems in a hurry to dig him out of it. He need some policies or an overarching ideology fast.

Progressive alliance, blue labour or socialist party - Labour can't be all 3 so he needs to pick one and stick with it.

Sun, 2011-06-19 15:07 — Gracie

"Where is the shadow Cabinet"?

Probably avoiding Mehdi Hasan, I hear he is persona no grata and they are not returning his calls. I don't reckon much on his chances of getting political quotes in the future. Jeez Mehdi could you not have picked a more damned awful newspaper to serialise your trashy political gossip in?

Ed Miliband is doing OK. he is leader of the opposition, not leader of an "alternative government". At the moment his job and the job of the shadow cabinet is to oppose this government and hold them to account, something they are doing, but something which is not always reported on. Why should they publish a manifesto 4 years short of the next general election? It would be the "longest suicide note in history". When the time comes Labour policies will be announced and if the general election is called before them because the coalition has collapsed, I dare say that have that covered too.

http://eoin-clarke.blogspot.com/2011/06/last-1000-polls-show-labour-sust...

I realise that you "labour is in the lead poll deniers" do not want to read this, but I think you should if only to stop making yourself look like complete Tory Tits!

Last 1000 polls show Labour sustaining record performance under Ed Miliband
Labour's polling score in the last 1,000 polls. You can see from the graph that Ed Miliband is sustaining higher polling percentages than either Gordon Brown or Tony Blair. Indeed one has to go back to 2002 to find a comparable performance for Labour.

Why doesn't the New Statesman and particularly Mehdi "money grabbing - Tory loving" Hasan try printing the truth and something positive - just for a change, or doesn't that fit in with your Tory agenda?

Thu, 2011-06-16 01:18 — Dan (not verified)

I don't doubt that the shadow cabinet doesn't support Ed Milband .They know he is not up to the role of leader of the opposition.He is weak and timid and doesn't not appeal to the floating voter that determines the outcome of elections.He does not look like a alternative primer minster .I feel he his little connection with the society in which he lives.He is a gifted academic who would be perfect in the world of academia rather than a front man for a social democratic party .He would make a great professor at the LSE . I think Cameron can't believe his luck with such poor opponents .He is devised a narrative that the debt crisis was down to heavy public spending by the previous Labour government.The bank bail out of 180 billion is what caused the public deficit to spiral out of control .Its hard working people that have paid the price and Labour has not been an effective opposition.

Wed, 2011-06-22 06:00 — antigone2

*Ed Miliband will possibly be a great Prime Minister, if only he will be ruthless enough to boot out the rightwingers who supported Blair/Brown.
*Ed is right to dump the "New Labour" pro-Thatcher politics. It was a disgrace that has set the ground work for this extremist tory regime, to get away with nasty and vile tory policies, without any resistance from Labour.
*There is a terrible silence from everyone in the Labour party, lets hope it's because of the review of policies, and not the death of the Labour Party.

Wed, 2011-06-22 06:15 — antigone2

*Agree that the shadow cabinet should be more visible, and not just a shadow.
*The silence is causing no resistance, and no Labour opposition is visable.
*A terrible death seems to have descended, where the whole Labour Party have collective lost their voices.
*The rightwing tories are everywhere in the media, and Labour is laughably absent and silent, like a graveyard.

Sun, 2011-06-19 16:21 — Gracie

Actually Ed Balls has been out and about making speeches and statments backing Ed Miliband, so has Yvette Cooper.

I would like to ask why it is that Mehdi Hasan thinks it is at all warranted for the shadow cabinet to be about and about defending their leader from a hail of mendacious gossip in the form of his rubbish book?

Sun, 2011-06-19 16:23 — Gracie

I wonder how long it will be before we can see Mehdi's book for sale in the pound shop?

Thu, 2011-06-16 02:44 — T Andrews (not verified)

Where are the shadow cabinet? Simple, they've gone missing.

A bit like your blog post on here last week lambasting people for daring to make Ed's life difficult. It mysteriously went missing just before your Mail on Sunday serialisation, in which you made revelations guaranteed to stir the nest.

Any chance of putting that article back up online so we can judge the exact levels of your hypocrisy?

Thu, 2011-06-16 06:19 — PeteyMcPeterson

It's no surprise when Ed makes public statements every other day acting like a petulant, overprivelaged naysayer.

His behaviour is unbecoming of a top-level politician and has lost labour support at a time when the opposition is ripe for humiliation.

Sun, 2011-06-19 23:48 — Nick9

Ed M does talk a lot of sense, although his recent speech was a let down. He's just not it as leader, the public will never take to him.

Ed Balls is good. I only hope the unions listen to him. He knows that the next sets of growth figures aren't going to deliver. A strike will be playing right into the hands of Tories who will say ' we were on track, but the strike set us back'. I've every sympathy for those who want to strike, but the time isn't right.

Labour drastically need to up the stakes in terms of becoming an appealing alternative. Ed Balls is right on the economy.

I don't thinks it's a question of conspiring against Ed M; - he's just lack lustre and doesn't inspire people to think Labour can win a GE.

This lot are getting away with blue murder, it;s time they were brought down.

Thu, 2011-06-16 11:58 — hugh markey (not verified)

The Meeja knows! The Conservatives know! The LibDems know! The Bankers know! The international financiers know!
What?
Instead of shadow-boxing should the Labour Party put up concrete policies at this stage in the political cycle, the Meeja and Big T government spokespersons ( remember Bankers' mouthpiece - Angela Knight - former Tory MP) will have an Aunt Sally punch bag to
target. Remember a punch bag is not interactive. The Meeja will keep stum when it comes to reporting Labour's responses to attacks.
Enough rope and the Tories and Libdebs will tie themselves in knots.
Just imagine the Tories and the Libdebs in a three-legged race. Geddit?

Analize This

Thu, 2011-06-16 12:39 — ChrisL (not verified)

Andy Burnham should do more interviews.
He's media friendly and appeals to the north and south.
Yvette Cooper is OK too.

Thu, 2011-06-16 23:38 — swatantra nandanwar

Andy Burnham should replace Ed now and give Labour a figting chance.
Ed's days are numbered.

Thu, 2011-12-08 19:20 — LindbergMarley

I think Cameron can't believe his luck with such poor opponents .He is devised a narrative that the debt crisis was down to heavy public spending by the previous Labour government.The bank bail out of 180 billion is what caused the public deficit to spiral out of control .Its hard working people that have paid the price and Labour has not been an effective opposition.

Thu, 2011-06-16 14:09 — Martin (not verified)

Doesn't the leader control/co-ordinate what shadow cabinet members say to the media?

Why doesn't Ed do this? If he doesn't (or can't) get people to speak to the media on his behalf, what does that say about his leadership?

"The leader of a party needs the loud and constant support of his party."

This isn't automatic. A weak leader - one who is incapable of inspiring fear or passion or loyalty in his party - doesn't get this.

So who is to blame - a leader who cannot lead or a party that cannot be led?

Thu, 2011-06-16 15:14 — maxinemf

The current LP shadow front bench resembles a group of tired old has beens. What is frightening is that those waiting in the sidelines, the so called new blood are no better. Chuka Umuna may sound good but when listening to what he has to say, soundbites and meaningless platitudes spring to mind. EM has got his work cut out for him. Endless media speculation does not help either.

Fri, 2011-06-17 14:41 — The Angel of the North (not verified)

Labour are rightfully doomed. Ed Miliband is one of the Creature Comforts and cannot be trusted to boil an egg! Sharia Law NOW.

Wed, 2011-06-15 19:43 — Olu Ojedokun (not verified)

I am not surprised. Have you seen the quality of the spokesmen/women the Labour Party sends out to various news programmes.

They are simply very poor, and frequently allow the Tory's narratives about the deficit to go unchallenged.

Another factor is the bi-annual beauty contest termed Shadow Cabinet elections where the members of their team owe their position to the party's membership and not the leader.