I met the future Prime Minister of the United Kingdom the other night. Of course I’m no Mystic Meg but I feel pretty confident that Mr Miliband will one day take up residence in number 10 Downing Street.
That of course is David Miliband I am referring to and not his younger brother Ed, who is currently struggling in his role as leader of the Opposition. Personally I can’t see Miliband the junior leading Labour anywhere, never mind back into power.
So it was with interest I sat down at The Mechanics Institute to hear what the former Foreign Secretary, and failed Labour leadership contender, had to say for himself in front of a large gathering of (mainly) local Labour party brothers and sisters.
Miliband was interviewed by local DJ-ing legend Dave Haslam, which I thought was an interesting choice of inquisitor. As it turned out Haslam, with his laid back yet informed style, set the tone for the evening rather well.
He’s no Jeremy Paxman, and I’m sure neither would he want to be, but he did put it up to Miliband regarding the lack of an alternative economic strategy forthcoming from Labour. And it was actually refreshing to see a politician interviewed without it turning into an ego battle between two men trying to get one over on the other.
Instead this was a considered interview, with some excellent insight from Miliband who said Labour’s gravest mistake was that they mistook good times for a good system.
He regrets the fact that while they were in power they were unable to insulate against a severe economic downturn such as we are currently experiencing. However, he was quick to point out that the recession started in Wall Street not Downing Street.
There was also an interesting exchange when Miliband accused Haslam of using Daily Mail language in relation to tax credits. I don’t know Dave personally but he strikes me as somebody who couldn’t be less Daily Mail-like, but the comment added a little frisson to the air and was good value.
Miliband, as one would expect, is an accomplished speaker and he seems to have accepted his position with good grace. He has used the time since the leadership defeat to his younger brother to reflect and re-energise and he clearly is a man with a lot more to give.
In the Q&A session that followed he refused to rule out running for the party leadership in the future by answering that he just did not know at this stage. He could have lied and said such thoughts never entered his head as he concentrated on his grassroots campaign to make the Labour party more open, Movement for Change. But he didn’t.
He knew the time was right to stand down from the Shadow Cabinet to avoid the soap opera that surely would have followed and I believe he will also know when the time is right to put himself forward for the leadership election once again.
And from there I believe he can take Labour back to power. Just remember, you read it here first…
0 comments:
Post a Comment