Alan Milburn? Alan Milburn who? He is not even an MP anymore, who cares? He walked away in a huff because he failed to get his ideas across, petulance is not attractive in a man and is certainly not in a leader, which is why he is where he is today, being used by Cameron, not because of Milburn's ideas, Cameron is not interested in them, Cameron was only interested in causing trouble for the labour party and trying to cause disharmony in the middle of their leadership election because he is disappointed that there has ben none so far, it didn't work, labour is a strong united party and it will take more than these three hasbeen collaborators to derail it. As for thinking that the coalition is here for the long haul, if he thinks that, no wonder he has made an abject failure of his career. More likely he sees himself as never being asked to do any work for the labour party or future labour government, so better do this now before this government has gone and he loses that chance too.

Was looking at that set this morning without knowing about this post. And yesterday was looking at a cutting featuring one Alex McFadden (his best man in his marriage to Dr Mo O'Toole) who was claiming c 2005 that Al was still a major lefty at heart. The other actors at that press conference were .. Ruth Kelly and John Reid. I don't think the Tory narrative of the necessity of their cuts is getting much traction and of course we haven't had any actual cuts yet, hardly. They are going to crash and burn on this. I thought this picture was going to be the beardy, weirdy, commie, friends in the northy idealist Alan from back in the Haze of Dope days.

Milburn worked hard on social mobility getting the poorest up the ladder, you can have the best education if you do not have the contacts you are basically up the creek.

So when Brown asked Milburn to go forth and look at this, Brown was hoping never to see him again, sadly he came back with some idea's which brown then used as Toilet paper, he needed a lot with a backside that big.

Milburn has stated he will work for free and alone, and I think if Cameron takes on board one or two items, then it will be worth it.

the fact is New Labour and Labour has just about ensured it will be out of power for the rest of my life, I do not Blame Milburn at all.

Another traitor to join the ranks of Field and Hutton.

Of course, social mobility can be widely achieved by cutting government spending and encouraging private help to the underprivileged. Alan Milburn's understanding of the basis of this government shows why he continues to be a sincerely inept would-be politician.

All you need to know about Alan Milburn:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2220540879&v=wall&story_fbid=74566...

Another traitor who puts his country ahead of his party.

Thank God for John Prescott, Ed Balls, Burnham and the Milibands who will always put Party first and Country last!

Not forgetting Dianne Abbott. The Country's interests are also in fact the Labour Party's interests too. Social Justice and Equality of Opportunity for All.

He looks like a tory and has joined them along with frank and the other one, who cannot resist power to the detrement of all the people who they are supposed to represent. They should be supporting their party in opposing what this awful coalition are about to impose on the least well off. Shame on them!

Good bye and good riddence. It's sad but it has been the history of the Labour Party. After most defeats for the party we throw off a wave of traitors. Hear that Liberal Democrats! I'm talking to you!

It's a process of purification; shedding the shrill oppertunists in autum and regrowing in spring.

But i think it says something of the virtue of the labour movement, that the shrill oppertunists will abanndon labour for tory when it matches their self intrest, but tories never abandon the tories for labour over self-intrest. Why? Because it's never in their self-intrest.

It's easy and natural to persue your self-intrest with the tories who consider kick-backs-for-tax-breaks normal business. It's difficult (though sadly not difficult enough) to be self-serving in the labour movement. Even blair was only able to out-slime the tories thanks to a huge majority.

Alan Milburn knows the difference between being in power and being in opposition.

The difference is this: with your hand on the tiller of the ship of state, what you say goes.

He'll get much more to improve Social Mobility achieved by being part of the government than by being part of a labour party policy forum.

Yes ... with your hand on the tiller of ship of state and the other lubricating the greasy pole...

And how did 'hand on the ship of state' work out for Cleggly? Didn't get much done did he?

To influence policy politicans need two things, reputation and a base.

Politicans are only as good as their reputations. They influence policy in-so-far as people take them seriously. Ruin your reputation an your have no chance to influence policy. Drifting about between parties like a floozy doesn't do anything to your reputation.

Secondly they need a base of supporters, whose mandate they represent. In the world of poltics anointed 'experts' don't count more than a mandate. I only wish they did. So much less, self-anointed experts in joke subjects; Social Moblity sounds like a course in a pollytechnic, inbetween hairdressing and media-studies.

If he takes the job the only persons social mobility whom is Alan Milburn will be advancing is his own.

Ship of state businesses is rubbish: He'll get nothing done because
A, it's a joke-job anyway (Czar and social moblity in the same expression, think about it),
B, no one has any respect for a man so easily bought out, and
c, he blew off the mandate of his base to be anointed 'Czar'.