"What will Uncle David bring me Dad?".......
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David Miliband
- Thread starter Mutts Nuts
- Start date
"What will Uncle David bring me Dad?".......
ROSM
Well-known member
Having met him (just once) I would say he wasn't the charismatic individual that people believe
All this stuff about the unions swung behind Ed makes it sound like David was sweeping the board until the nasty unions spoiled things. David beat Ed 18% to 16% on MPs; 18% to 15% on party members (winning but not a massive endorsement) while Ed beat David 20% to 13% on unions - healthy but there was still plenty of union support for David. Yes, it was the unions that won it for Ed, but there was plenty of support for him in other parts of the party.
The way that I read it as the Ed read the situation better and actively campaigned for union support while David was content with the union support he had. It doesn't suggest to me that David would have fought a better campaign than Ed.
And as an aside, Ed with his union support would certainly have found it easier to push through the union reforms that will shape the next election
Cadiz Seagull
Grey bearded old man
That's fair comment. I think David Milliband did bottle it; Blair certainly would have backed him against Brown but I suspect Miliband wondered if being backed by Blair would have gone down well with the party.
Pity, because I think he would have made a good leader and may well have been PM today if the unions hadn't backed his brother.
He may still do so but not this time around. If Labour elects someone else who turns out to be unelectable maybe they willl turn to him in due course? But I doubt it, he's probably missed his chance.
Bevendean Hillbilly
New member
Famously Jewish politician celebrates pagan festival. He'd rock up at midnight mass and belt out "little donkey" whilst sucking a pork matzo ball if he thought it would win him a vote. My point was lighthearted but go ahead and get your panties in a bunch.
Mellor 3 Ward 4
Well-known member
Completely disagree.
Labour with David Miliband in charge would have walked this election.
ROSM
Well-known member
He's never really been under the public scrutiny that a leader has to go through
He was no more rounded than his brother at that stage
alfredmizen
Banned
- Mar 11, 2015
- 6,342
Completely disagree with you , David suffers from the same 'weirdness' factor as Ed.
Hampster Gull
New member
- Dec 22, 2010
- 13,462
I very much doubt it
Hampster Gull
New member
- Dec 22, 2010
- 13,462
Dont forget the bacon sarnie
Bold Seagull
strong and stable with me, or...
I'm not saying he was the ideal leader. I was merely questioning your assertions / conclusions.
Mellor 3 Ward 4
Well-known member
I still maintain he would have stopped the lurch to the left and kept Labour in the political middle ground a la Blair.
Like it or not, it's what the electorate likes.
Bold Seagull
strong and stable with me, or...
I wasn't really making a big case for Dave, just thought ROSM's conclusions were hard to justify.
As for the above, the critical thing about David Miliband wasn't his support from within the Labour party, it was his perception and popularity outside the party that was important. Sure, the leadership election was close from within the Labour party, but that doesn't win you elections. All those voters that left the Tories and the Libs for Blair had a greater connection with David than they did Ed. Ed got in because the Labour party wanted to be more left. That wasn't what the electorate wanted though as has just been proved.
Michael Foot was once questioned about how he thought he was doing in one election, and whether his campaign was working, he replied that every rally he attended the support was overwhelming, the interviewer then said, but aren't your rallies mainly in front of Labour supporters?...
That has no basis in any sort of reality. The party was hammered in Scotland because it was seen as a right-wing metropolitan elite - making it even more right wing would have probably lost it its one remaining seat.
It lost out to UKIP in the north, preventing it from making any gains, mainly because Labour was regarded as run by metropolitan elitists (get the theme) who did nothing to stop the Polish plumbers and Romanian fruit pickers.
Maybe David M could have picked up a dozen or so seats in middle England (but may also have lost a couple more in London). But maybe not, there'd still have been the fear of the SNP to scare voters away - there'd still be resistance to Labour, whoever was leader. And that's before you take into account David's less than stellar record for winning elections.
At most, I predict he'd have got 10 more seats but I'm not wholly convinced he'd have done that
West Hoathly Seagull
Honorary Ruffian
To a certain extent, this happened to the Conservatives as well. Michael Portillo backed out of challenging John Major in 1995. He had rented an office (on the corner of Barton Street and Cowley Street as it happens, in the house of a supporter), then bottled it at the last minute. The Conservatives ended up with Iain Duncan-Smith instead when Portillo did finally make his challenge after William Hague got hammered in 2001.
Lower West Stander
Well-known member
Have to say that's an interesting point.
I am very much of the view that Ed was unelectable because of his union banking, poor economic record and inability to eat a bacon sandwich. But given the surge of the Scottish Nationalists would it really have made a difference who was in charge of Labour?
Perhaps David dodged a bullet.
West Hoathly Seagull
Honorary Ruffian
I'm not sure he really wants it. As with my previous example of Michael Portillo, who became a TV presenter (a sorry loss for those of us on the other side who realised that the Conservatives needed to reach the suburbs - we were reduced to the shires, just as Labour is to the north and urban areas of cities) and appears to be far happier than when he was a politician, David Miliband appears to be very happy with his new career in New York. A pity, as strong opposition is necessary, whichever party one supports.
Bevendean Hillbilly
New member
Get Shuka Ummuna or Andy Burnham in the drivers seat and Labour have a chance. Yvette Balls, sorry, Cooper in and I'm OUT. she's got Ed sitting around the house all day in his pants drinking spesh at the moment. She'll be too busy nagging that poor bugger to get off the X Box and sign on to reform the movement.
Indeed. I think that this election was a bad one for Labour ... and the next one will be. I thought Ed did better than the party could have hoped for, personally. I think the next leader is on a hiding to nothing too.
He does seem to be happier out of the limelight - he's actually left the party.
I've actually met Portillo in two different walks of life (his and mine) and he's a far more engaging person than his right-wing image suggests
London Irish
Well-known member
He'll be forgotten very quickly. Ed however will go onto serve in a senior role in the next Labour government, delighted he intends to put himself forward for shadow cabinet roles. There will only ever be one Milifandom
