Ed Miliband says Labour behaved like “squatters in power”
Labour leadership candidate says the party was too hesitant while in office.
By Jason Cowley Published 01 August 2010 17:36
In my Sunday Mirror column today I offer a gently mocking end-of-first-term assessment of the coalition government. I also quote something from Ed Miliband, the Labour leadership contender.
When I spoke to him he contrasted the confidence of David Cameron and his coalition partners with the hesitancy and lack of confidence of New Labour in power, in spite of their landslide victories. It's as if New Labour always felt like imposters, as if they had somehow tricked their way into government and didn't quite belong.
In some ways, they did trick their way in to power and behaved as such. The whole New Labour period can look more and more like an elaborate confidence trick, in retrospect.
By contrast, David Cameron and George Osborne -- especially the latter, who, though you may disagree with him, is a very impressive conviction politician (as is Ed Miliband, it so happens) -- behave in the way of Conservatives of old. They act as if theirs is the natural party of government and it is the historic duty and role of the Conservatives to rescue the country from the irresponsibility and misrule of lesser parties.
Call it noblesse oblige or, perhaps, the entitlement of privilege. Whatever you call it, Ed Miliband is bothered by how the Tories, using the Lib Dems as cover, can be so radical and so bold, even though they didn't win a majority at the election in May.
This is what Ed said to me:
It's very interesting what the coalition has done, a bit like George Bush in 2000. The coalition, like Bush, has won a very questionable mandate and yet they act like they own the place. The cuts [in public spending] David Cameron is making are going well beyond what he needed to do. He could have chosen a different course. He didn't. Yet when Labour wins an emphatic mandate we act sometimes like we are squatters in power. That has to change, surely?
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23 comments
"Yeh, go on Labour, elect a Marxist for your next leader LOL" - yes I'm lol'ing alright ... thought its at you! - to suggest that Ed Miliband is a Marxist is rubbish.
And even if they do elect a lefty, they would be miles better than the shambles the Coalition represents!
Ed has got it right that nu lab had no idea what to do when they came to power because Blair with his shop stewards postmen and trade union tea boys had never run so much as a hot dog stand?
Cameron and his old etonians have made fortunes before coming into politics?
The nu lab stooges knew the salary sucking on the public purse was the best they could hope for?
Labour will never return with these foreign leaders being touted?
They know the mess they have left?
It could be just me, but I have noticed sudden reducing in the levels of allowances of comment on youtube in this country.
Torrries used to get up with this shit at the backend of 1979, let alone 1980.... They are starting to play their games, the money wealthed twats. Breaks my heart what they will do to our country.
re thatch, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6JaaTUwByU
and claim to fame here, the mother of my daughter was chatted up by Kevin the brilliant, on a train from Euston, coming to meet me in Chester. She was well impressed by Kevin. This was about 1987.
I wish there was a chance of a Labour leader really ready yo turn the world upside down. Scrap the Lords, and strip the Archers of this world of their titles at the same time, ethical foreign policy (that'd be nice), introduce progressive taxation and so on, but we're talking about the New Labour that was just as keen as the Tories to flog the post office, that continued a cocked-up NHS market model, that oversaw an increase in inequality. Despite their many successes, many of their policies were really very little different to the Tories. The party would need a major cull in the senior ranks if Eddy really wants to live up to this promise.
Could they not have been nore hesitant please, about wars, ID cards, detention without trial etc., etc?
more Dexys, early inter-thatch,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__WJJgIXk6U
s'pose I will not let Dexys get away with everything from the West Midlands, this is special, so to speak,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igMMDzBKHyc
Apart from Simon J's euphoria regarding Labour's defeat to a coalition Government , who's leader regards the deputy Prime Minister to be a "joke" ( and confirms himself to be a junior Prime Minister by declaring the Britain played a second fiddle during the Battle of Britain in 1940) ,one has to say that when labour delivers a challenge to the shambles of a coalition Government which lied to come to power ,it has to make sure that it does not make the same mistakes in being defensive when attacking the frailties of its opposition parties and also listens to the voters,when they are not happy regarding policies which do not help the majority .
T Blair was never a Labour man. His dad was a Conservative councillor and he was brought up a Conservative, hence Tony's insistance that New Labour was to replace Old Labour, and like a fool they all agreed, and look at the messy he left behind for all to clear up. The only legacy associated with him are arrogance, vanity and plain stupidity.
You talk about squatters Ed, but it was you and Balls who helped thrust Brown on to the electorate for three years who was neither voted by his party or the people. Ed Milliband, along with the other special advisors, like Balls and David Milliband, were very much part of Blair and Browns elite cabal who helped stitch up Browns coronation and look where that got us: the worst Labour PM ever.
The Labour party is crying out to be lead by an honest politician for a change, and yes there are people of this calibre in the Labour party, such as Alan Johnson and Alistair Darling. The Milliband brothers, along with Balls are opportunist who, if elected, will lead Labour to destruction.
@llanystumdwy (David Lloyd George's boyhood home)
When Blair and Prescott resigned, there was an election process for leader and deputy leader. Neither Alan Johnson nor Alistair Darling put themselves forward and John McDonnell and Michael Meacher didn't get enough nominations. Brown eventually had so many nominations that no other candidate could have got enough to challenge him.
Whoever succeeded Blair wouldn't have been elected by the people any more than John Major was after Thatcher was deposed.
We don't have a presidential system in the UK. Perhaps you want one?
More like burglars robbing their own house. Squatters merely occupy the space. New Labour first ripped out all the lead and copper wiring and pipework, then sold off the slates and the boiler, the baths and the fitted kitchen. Then they took out a mortgage on an unsaleable wreck.
Some squatters. More like pillagers and vandals.
Yeah, you tell 'em Tapesty *rolls eyes*
Funnily enough I remember the Conservatives selling the family silver back in the 80s, whatever was sold after more like the pots and pans.
The problem for 'New Labour' is that it knew it was a fraudulent party, masquerading for no other reason than to play the game of being in office. At least the Tories know what class they are there to work for. By 'abolishing' class New Labour abolished any genuine purpose.
And this is part of the reason why Ed Miliband deserves to lead Labour to victory at the next General Election
The New Labour party should be put up against a wall and shot for crimes against the country.
Yeh, go on Labour, elect a Marxist for your next leader LOL. Out of power for a generation, and rightly so.
Tories always act like they "own the place". It comes from the arrogance of public school and oxbridge educations. Who ever remembers a timid Tory Government?
Ted Heath was the closest but he a Grammer School boy.
ED S right when we get in again,we close the banks and strangle the rich's wealth till their credit cards weep
And can I Be the yacht sinker?
I don't care how much conviction Osborne's got he s much more of a convict
Complacency is the mother of blindness in office. It's human nature.
Didn't Tony Blair complain that he couldn't do what he wanted because of Gordon Brown?
It was probably a good thing that Blair was held back tbf, four wars was more than enough.
Regardless of the public’s perception the Tories do not understand science and technology, and they don’t understand the dynamics of running a modern demoracy of 55 million people. Any body can make cuts in public spending – it’s easy. The trick is to build a country that is united in it’s urge to find solutions to problems intelligently and professionally.