David Miliband: Bring it on, bro!
Posted by Ian at 9 01 PM on Saturday, May 15
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FORMER Foreign Secretary David Miliband last night told the News of the World how he is happy to compete with his brother in the battle for the Labour Party leadership.
Ex-Energy Secretary Ed, 40, joined the race to replace Gordon Brown by formally launching his own campaign yesterday.
Older brother David, 44, threw his hat into the ring earlier in the week.
But he had no qualms about competing with Ed, telling us: “I’ll love him before and after. Family is more important than politics in the end.”
An exclusive Ipsos MORI poll for the News of the World today makes David the massive favourite to take over — backed by 40 per cent of Labour voters.
Former Education Secretary Ed Balls is still weighing up whether he has enough support to stand, as are Andy Burnham and Jon Cruddas.
Yesterday David Miliband described the party’s election campaign — which was masterminded by Labour’s Old Guard of Brown, Alastair Campbell and Lord Mandelson — as a “car crash”.
He wants a “new generation” to turn New Labour into what he terms “Next Labour”.
“The Blair/Brown era is over... gone... finished,” he said. “We learn from our history but we don’t live in it.”
Asked if that meant it was time for the Old Guard to step aside he answered: “Yes. That’s pretty straightforward. I think that. I can’t imagine who you’re thinking of but, yes.” Looking back on the election result he said: “We undoubtedly lost among people who were aspirational, who were hard working.”
That assessment was shared by his brother, who said the Labour government had ended up as “caretakers” instead of “transformers”.