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Labour cannot be timid - minister Labour is 'neither down nor out'
(about 2 hours later)
The Labour Party must avoid being too "timid" if it is to win the next election, a health minister has said. Labour is "not down and out", despite its recent by-election defeat in Glasgow and poor poll ratings, Foreign Secretary David Miliband has said.
Ivan Lewis called on Gordon Brown to be a "decisive" leader, saying that "the only way forward now is bold Labour". The party was "determined" to be clear about its values, its vision for the UK and the need to ensure there was "real choice at the next election", he added.
Voters needed reassurance that Labour was "on their side", the MP for Bury South told The Independent. Mr Miliband told BBC Radio 2 he was "not running a leadership campaign".
His remarks follow Labour's by-election defeat in Glasgow East and an article by David Miliband about the party's future which did not mention Mr Brown. An article by Mr Miliband on Labour's future sparked speculation he would bid to take over from Gordon Brown.
The foreign secretary insisted this did not mean he was "campaigning" to replace Mr Brown as leader, however. 'Dose of salt'
Mr Miliband said he was "absolutely confident" that Mr Brown could lead Labour to an election victory. The Guardian article did not mention Mr Brown, but the foreign secretary insisted it had been intended as a challenge to Conservative leader David Cameron rather than to the prime minister.
And he insisted his article was intended as a challenge to Conservative leader David Cameron rather than to the prime minister.
'Damaging' attacks
Many of Thursday's newspapers claim Mr Brown's allies are angry at Mr Miliband for perceived disloyalty, although these reports are attributed to unidentified sources within Labour.Many of Thursday's newspapers claim Mr Brown's allies are angry at Mr Miliband for perceived disloyalty, although these reports are attributed to unidentified sources within Labour.
David Miliband has insisted he was not "campaigning" against Mr BrownFormer minister Denis MacShane called for an end to such anonymous briefings against the foreign secretary, saying these risked harming Britain's standing in the world. But Mr Miliband told Radio 2's Jeremy Vine Show that he always took anonymous quotes "with a very large dose of salt".
Former minister Denis MacShane called for an end to such anonymous briefings against the foreign secretary, saying these risked harming Britain's standing in the world.
"The national interest is now being damaged by these anonymous attacks on Miliband and they should stop now," he said."The national interest is now being damaged by these anonymous attacks on Miliband and they should stop now," he said.
On Tuesday, Labour's deputy leader, Harriet Harman, insisted she was "not preparing the ground for a leadership election" and said she did not accept Mr Brown's spell as leader was "over".
'Ultimate test''Ultimate test'
In an interview with the Independent, Mr Lewis said the measure of any political party was revealed "in the bad time and not the good time". Meanwhile Labour must avoid being too "timid" if it is to win the next election, Health Minister Ivan Lewis has said.
He called on Mr Brown to be a "decisive" leader, saying that "the only way forward now is bold Labour".
Voters needed reassurance that Labour was "on their side", the MP for Bury South told The Independent.
The way forward was "bold Labour", not "old Labour", Mr Lewis saidIn an interview with the Independent, Mr Lewis said the measure of any political party was revealed "in the bad time and not the good time".
"We now face the ultimate test. People have a decision to make. But there's one thing that's absolutely clear - it's that the public don't vote for divided parties.""We now face the ultimate test. People have a decision to make. But there's one thing that's absolutely clear - it's that the public don't vote for divided parties."
He said he expected Labour to win the next election, which must take place by May 2010, adding his party had "got to believe" this was possible.He said he expected Labour to win the next election, which must take place by May 2010, adding his party had "got to believe" this was possible.
"If we don't believe that we can still win, how do we expect the electorate to believe that?""If we don't believe that we can still win, how do we expect the electorate to believe that?"
And Mr Lewis added that his party's defeat in Glasgow East last week "confirmed my view that timidity and incremental change will not deal with the way people feel right now".And Mr Lewis added that his party's defeat in Glasgow East last week "confirmed my view that timidity and incremental change will not deal with the way people feel right now".
The Scottish National Party overturned a majority of 13,507 to win a seat previously considered to be one of Labour's safest with a swing of nearly 23%.The Scottish National Party overturned a majority of 13,507 to win a seat previously considered to be one of Labour's safest with a swing of nearly 23%.
On Tuesday, Labour's deputy leader, Harriet Harman, insisted she was "not preparing the ground for a leadership election" and said she did not accept Mr Brown's spell as leader was "over".