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Ed Miliband needs fighters in inner circle, says Damian McBride Ed Miliband needs fighters in inner circle, says Damian McBride
(about 9 hours later)
Ed Miliband needs more warriors among his advisers if he is to win the 2015 election, Gordon Brown's former spin doctor Damian McBride has claimed.Ed Miliband needs more warriors among his advisers if he is to win the 2015 election, Gordon Brown's former spin doctor Damian McBride has claimed.
As Miliband predicted he would "defy the odds" to triumph next year, McBride said the Labour leader's closest advisers lacked an understanding of what was required to win and would rather be attending a Thomas Piketty symposium instead.As Miliband predicted he would "defy the odds" to triumph next year, McBride said the Labour leader's closest advisers lacked an understanding of what was required to win and would rather be attending a Thomas Piketty symposium instead.
McBride wrote on his blog: "There are many positive things to say about the people managing Ed Miliband's operation and running Labour's campaign. They are well-spoken, well-read, well-connected, and if you stay on their right side, quite genial. You'd feel safe sitting them next to your mum at a wedding. McBride wrote on his blog: "There are many positive things to say about the people managing Ed Miliband's operation and running Labour's campaign.
"They are well-spoken, well-read, well-connected, and if you stay on their right side, quite genial. You'd feel safe sitting them next to your mum at a wedding.
"But what they are not is fighters. They will never give their press team and foot-soldiers the ammunition required to win the next 40 weeks in the media and on the doorstep, not just because they lack an understanding of what might do the trick, but also an appreciation of why doing so matters.""But what they are not is fighters. They will never give their press team and foot-soldiers the ammunition required to win the next 40 weeks in the media and on the doorstep, not just because they lack an understanding of what might do the trick, but also an appreciation of why doing so matters."
He added: "Just like David Cameron, Ed Miliband has been guilty of recruiting his innermost circle of advisers entirely in his own image. That's alright in peacetime if it helps him shape his political philosophy and refine his personal blueprint for government. It might even be OK if basking in a large majority in office. But with an election to win – an election Labour can win – Ed urgently needs to add some 'wartime consiglieres' to the mix, not in place of the very capable and trusted people he's got, but working alongside them." He added: "Just like David Cameron, Ed Miliband has been guilty of recruiting his innermost circle of advisers entirely in his own image. That's all right in peacetime if it helps him shape his political philosophy and refine his personal blueprint for government.
McBride's comments add to a handful of interventions from Labour figures over the last few days. Miliband has been contending with negative personal opinion polls and had to apologise to Liverpudlians for endorsing the Sun newspaper. However, the party is still around four points ahead in the opinion polls and on course to win the election. "It might even be OK if basking in a large majority in office. But with an election to win – an election Labour can win – Ed urgently needs to add some 'wartime consiglieres' to the mix, not in place of the very capable and trusted people he's got, but working alongside them."
Speaking at the launch of an IPPR thinktank report on the condition of Britain, Miliband defended his leadership against criticism from the party grandee Lord Mandelson. On the BBC's Newsnight programme, Mandelson, a former cabinet minister under Brown and Blair, offered only lukewarm praise for the Labour leadership and suggested Miliband was taking the wrong path on business. McBride's comments add to a handful of interventions from Labour figures over the last few days. Miliband has been contending with negative personal opinion polls and had to apologise to Liverpudlians for endorsing the Sun newspaper.
"In my view, he is the leader we have and therefore the leader I support and somebody who I believe is capable of leading the party to victory," Mandelson said. He later added: "I think that he has confused the party's message on business. I think what he needs to do is to embrace that model of a market-based economy where we are supporting business success, but where we also want to see a socially inclusive society with principles of social justice where we're creating opportunities for people and leaning against inequalities of society in everything we do. However, the party is still about four points ahead in the opinion polls and on course to win the election.
"He places a great deal of emphasis on the last of those positions – the social justice, the fairness, the leaning against inequality – and I think that's absolutely right for a Labour leader to do so. But he also has to balance that with an explanation of how we're going to bring about economic growth, how we're going to create jobs and how we're going to create conditions in Britain for business to grow, which he has a year to do." Speaking at the launch of an IPPR thinktank report on the condition of Britain, Miliband defended his leadership against criticism from the party grandee Lord Mandelson.
On the BBC's Newsnight programme, Mandelson, a former cabinet minister under Brown and Blair, offered only lukewarm praise for the Labour leadership and suggested Miliband was taking the wrong path on business.
"In my view, he is the leader we have and therefore the leader I support and somebody who I believe is capable of leading the party to victory," Mandelson said.
He later added: "I think that he has confused the party's message on business. I think what he needs to do is to embrace that model of a market-based economy where we are supporting business success, but where we also want to see a socially inclusive society with principles of social justice where we're creating opportunities for people and leaning against inequalities of society in everything we do.
"He places a great deal of emphasis on the last of those positions – the social justice, the fairness, the leaning against inequality – and I think that's absolutely right for a Labour leader to do so.
"But he also has to balance that with an explanation of how we're going to bring about economic growth, how we're going to create jobs and how we're going to create conditions in Britain for business to grow, which he has a year to do."
Miliband said he would listen to advice, but "continuity Labour" was not an option and the party could not carry on in the same vein as the last government.Miliband said he would listen to advice, but "continuity Labour" was not an option and the party could not carry on in the same vein as the last government.
"I didn't take this job because I thought it would be a walk in the park; I fought for this job because I thought it was important and I thought I had something distinctive to say about how we can change this country, and I believe that more now than I did three and a half years ago," he said. "I relish the next 10 months, I relish the opportunity to fight for my vision for the country." "I didn't take this job because I thought it would be a walk in the park; I fought for this job because I thought it was important and I thought I had something distinctive to say about how we can change this country, and I believe that more now than I did three and a half years ago," he said.
"I relish the next 10 months, I relish the opportunity to fight for my vision for the country."
He said he believed he could win next year's election, despite a YouGov survey for Prospect magazine suggesting six in 10 voters thought he was not up to the job of being prime minister.He said he believed he could win next year's election, despite a YouGov survey for Prospect magazine suggesting six in 10 voters thought he was not up to the job of being prime minister.
The latest YouGov/Sun poll suggested Miliband was on track to win an overall majority, with about 38% of the vote, but he acknowledged it would be a "tough fight" to return Labour to power after one term in opposition.The latest YouGov/Sun poll suggested Miliband was on track to win an overall majority, with about 38% of the vote, but he acknowledged it would be a "tough fight" to return Labour to power after one term in opposition.