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Ed Miliband on the Saatchi-Lawson pictures: 'our duty is to intervene' Ed Miliband on the Saatchi-Lawson pictures: 'our duty is to intervene'
(3 months later)
Ed Miliband is sometimes accused of being indecisive but, on one issue that has been a national talking point this week, he is clear and resolute: "Our duty is to intervene."Ed Miliband is sometimes accused of being indecisive but, on one issue that has been a national talking point this week, he is clear and resolute: "Our duty is to intervene."
Not Syria. We're talking about Nigella Lawson, and what Miliband would have done if he had been there when Charles Saatchi grabbed her by the throat. On Thursday Nick Clegg came a cropper on his LBC Call Clegg show when, asked if he would have got involved if he had seen the assault, he said he could not be sure and it might have been just a "fleeting thing".Not Syria. We're talking about Nigella Lawson, and what Miliband would have done if he had been there when Charles Saatchi grabbed her by the throat. On Thursday Nick Clegg came a cropper on his LBC Call Clegg show when, asked if he would have got involved if he had seen the assault, he said he could not be sure and it might have been just a "fleeting thing".
In an interview in his Commons office, Miliband said that he would have stepped in.In an interview in his Commons office, Miliband said that he would have stepped in.
"I thought they were horrifying pictures," he said. "Honestly, if you are passing by something like that happening – our duty is to intervene. If I had been in that situation, passing by in those circumstances, the right thing to do is to go up to somebody involved in that and say 'What's going on?'""I thought they were horrifying pictures," he said. "Honestly, if you are passing by something like that happening – our duty is to intervene. If I had been in that situation, passing by in those circumstances, the right thing to do is to go up to somebody involved in that and say 'What's going on?'"
Sadly, perhaps, we will never find out what would have happened if Miliband had leapt in to defend the celebrity chef. But the Labour leader does have to live with the consequences of another decisive act – his call for a cap on welfare spending and his announcement that he will accept the government's spending plans as a starting point for 2015-16. On Saturday he will find out what activists think when he addresses the party's national policy forum meeting in Birmingham.Sadly, perhaps, we will never find out what would have happened if Miliband had leapt in to defend the celebrity chef. But the Labour leader does have to live with the consequences of another decisive act – his call for a cap on welfare spending and his announcement that he will accept the government's spending plans as a starting point for 2015-16. On Saturday he will find out what activists think when he addresses the party's national policy forum meeting in Birmingham.
Initially the response to the strategy – set out in speeches from Miliband and Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor, two weeks ago – was muted, but more recently there have been mutterings of protest. Compass, the leftwing pressure group, will launch its own spending review next week and has urged Balls not to give George Osborne "a get out of jail free card".Initially the response to the strategy – set out in speeches from Miliband and Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor, two weeks ago – was muted, but more recently there have been mutterings of protest. Compass, the leftwing pressure group, will launch its own spending review next week and has urged Balls not to give George Osborne "a get out of jail free card".
Dave Prentis, the Unison general secretary, declared in a speech to a Unison conference: "For Ed Balls, it's time to decide, which side are you on, Ed? Cutting welfare and rivalling Tory spending cuts may win you support in the rightwing press, but it won't win you the next election. And to Ed Miliband, a bit of advice from me in the words of Nye Bevan: We know what happens to people who stay in the middle of the road – they get run down."Dave Prentis, the Unison general secretary, declared in a speech to a Unison conference: "For Ed Balls, it's time to decide, which side are you on, Ed? Cutting welfare and rivalling Tory spending cuts may win you support in the rightwing press, but it won't win you the next election. And to Ed Miliband, a bit of advice from me in the words of Nye Bevan: We know what happens to people who stay in the middle of the road – they get run down."
Overall, though, Miliband thinks that "there is a broad understanding in the Labour party that times are going to be tough". Like Prentis, he too can quote Bevan to back his case. Bevan was right to say that socialism is the "language of priorities", he will tell the policy forum, citing taxing bankers' bonuses to fund a youth jobs guarantee as one of several examples.Overall, though, Miliband thinks that "there is a broad understanding in the Labour party that times are going to be tough". Like Prentis, he too can quote Bevan to back his case. Bevan was right to say that socialism is the "language of priorities", he will tell the policy forum, citing taxing bankers' bonuses to fund a youth jobs guarantee as one of several examples.
But Miliband thinks that there is a wider lesson to be learned from the experience of Bevan and his colleagues in the Attlee government. They represent a tradition of austerity Labour, and they showed that a Labour government could be radical and transformative while also imposing rigid fiscal discipline.But Miliband thinks that there is a wider lesson to be learned from the experience of Bevan and his colleagues in the Attlee government. They represent a tradition of austerity Labour, and they showed that a Labour government could be radical and transformative while also imposing rigid fiscal discipline.
"If you go into the roots and history of the Labour party and think about our most dramatic society-changing government, the 1945 government, we all remember the NHS, building homes, and the family allowance," he said."If you go into the roots and history of the Labour party and think about our most dramatic society-changing government, the 1945 government, we all remember the NHS, building homes, and the family allowance," he said.
"What is less remembered is the other half – yes they created the NHS, but, believe it or not, they were running a budget surplus. There was wartime rationing. This is a government that banned the import of sardines because they were worried about the balance of payments. It shows a government can be remembered in difficult times for doing great things"."What is less remembered is the other half – yes they created the NHS, but, believe it or not, they were running a budget surplus. There was wartime rationing. This is a government that banned the import of sardines because they were worried about the balance of payments. It shows a government can be remembered in difficult times for doing great things".
It is indeed true that Attlee's first chancellor, Hugh Dalton, posted a record surplus and his successor, Stafford Cripps, also ran surpluses for three years from 1948-9 to 1950-51, averaging 7% of GNP.It is indeed true that Attlee's first chancellor, Hugh Dalton, posted a record surplus and his successor, Stafford Cripps, also ran surpluses for three years from 1948-9 to 1950-51, averaging 7% of GNP.
Having committed Labour to accepting the coalition's plans for current spending in 2015-16 as a starting point (although reserving the right to increase capital spending on housing or infrastructure), Miliband insists he is not going to retreat to a safe harbour, as some say he did 18 months ago, if the party reaction gets choppy. "It was the right time, two years out from a general election, to set a direction of travel.Having committed Labour to accepting the coalition's plans for current spending in 2015-16 as a starting point (although reserving the right to increase capital spending on housing or infrastructure), Miliband insists he is not going to retreat to a safe harbour, as some say he did 18 months ago, if the party reaction gets choppy. "It was the right time, two years out from a general election, to set a direction of travel.
"The last Labour government was able to plan on the basis of rising departmental spending. The next Labour government will have to plan on the basis of falling departmental spending, but the party knows we can still make a difference.""The last Labour government was able to plan on the basis of rising departmental spending. The next Labour government will have to plan on the basis of falling departmental spending, but the party knows we can still make a difference."
How? Partly by learning from local government. At the forum, Miliband will announce a local government innovation taskforce to advise the party's policy review on how the public sector can deliver more with less. It will include Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester council, Sharon Taylor, leader of Stevenage council and Jules Pipe, mayor of Hackney – three authorities which are pioneering new ways of delivering services.How? Partly by learning from local government. At the forum, Miliband will announce a local government innovation taskforce to advise the party's policy review on how the public sector can deliver more with less. It will include Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester council, Sharon Taylor, leader of Stevenage council and Jules Pipe, mayor of Hackney – three authorities which are pioneering new ways of delivering services.
For example, Manchester is working with the NHS to integrate care with the health service. Hackney is pioneering a preventative approach to adult social care. And Stevenage's initiatives include locating a volunteering project next to a jobcentre, so the jobseekers can be sent over directly to learn about volunteering opportunities.For example, Manchester is working with the NHS to integrate care with the health service. Hackney is pioneering a preventative approach to adult social care. And Stevenage's initiatives include locating a volunteering project next to a jobcentre, so the jobseekers can be sent over directly to learn about volunteering opportunities.
Miliband said that Labour is now pursuing "an avowedly localising agenda" on a range of issues – such as housing, the work programme and planning – because "we recognise that the notion that you can pull the central levers of Whitehall and solve all the problems of the country – it's not going to happen."Miliband said that Labour is now pursuing "an avowedly localising agenda" on a range of issues – such as housing, the work programme and planning – because "we recognise that the notion that you can pull the central levers of Whitehall and solve all the problems of the country – it's not going to happen."
He went on: "I'm incredibly proud, as maybe Labour leaders could not have said 30 years ago, of what we are doing in local government. Instead of telling local government what to do, we want to learn from them …The danger is this sounds like a technocratic issue - are you having the power centrally or are you exercising it locally? It's actually not about that. It's about how you are best able to solve the country's problems. If you think about housing, it's much more likely that local government will be able to negotiate on behalf of the tenant to drive down the housing benefit bill. The notion that you can do it from central government is nonsense."He went on: "I'm incredibly proud, as maybe Labour leaders could not have said 30 years ago, of what we are doing in local government. Instead of telling local government what to do, we want to learn from them …The danger is this sounds like a technocratic issue - are you having the power centrally or are you exercising it locally? It's actually not about that. It's about how you are best able to solve the country's problems. If you think about housing, it's much more likely that local government will be able to negotiate on behalf of the tenant to drive down the housing benefit bill. The notion that you can do it from central government is nonsense."
Hilary Benn, the shadow communities secretary, will announce details of a New English Deal, offering local government more powers over matters such as skills, employment, housing and economic development.Hilary Benn, the shadow communities secretary, will announce details of a New English Deal, offering local government more powers over matters such as skills, employment, housing and economic development.
"Too often in the past central government, Labour central governments, told local government what to do. We are reversing this. We are going to get local government to tell us how it's done," Miliband said."Too often in the past central government, Labour central governments, told local government what to do. We are reversing this. We are going to get local government to tell us how it's done," Miliband said.
Such localist rhetoric has been the staple diet of oppositions down the ages, but Miliband seems to believe that by 2015 government will have reached the limit of its ability to cut without transforming relations between national and local government. "Britain is far too centralised a country. It remains far too centralised a country."Such localist rhetoric has been the staple diet of oppositions down the ages, but Miliband seems to believe that by 2015 government will have reached the limit of its ability to cut without transforming relations between national and local government. "Britain is far too centralised a country. It remains far too centralised a country."
On public spending, Miliband is reluctant to be drawn into whether he will accept the current government timetable to cut the structural deficit by 2017-18, a timetable that requires even deeper cuts in the two years after the current spending round of 2015-16. Labour's options after the election remain varied – higher capital spending, slower deficit reduction and higher taxes are all possible.On public spending, Miliband is reluctant to be drawn into whether he will accept the current government timetable to cut the structural deficit by 2017-18, a timetable that requires even deeper cuts in the two years after the current spending round of 2015-16. Labour's options after the election remain varied – higher capital spending, slower deficit reduction and higher taxes are all possible.
But he is anxious to play down suggestions that including pensions in the proposed cap on welfare means they are under threat. After Balls announced that pensions would be covered by the cap earlier this month, the Tories claimed that Labour wanted to cut the basic state pension. Miliband said Labour's stance on this was essentially the same as the government's.But he is anxious to play down suggestions that including pensions in the proposed cap on welfare means they are under threat. After Balls announced that pensions would be covered by the cap earlier this month, the Tories claimed that Labour wanted to cut the basic state pension. Miliband said Labour's stance on this was essentially the same as the government's.
"Of course you have to got to plan pension spending in the long term. The notion that this government is coming along and saying 'we really want to plan spending on social security but, by the way, pensions, which is one of the biggest drivers of social security, is not going to be planned' is absolute nonsense," he said."Of course you have to got to plan pension spending in the long term. The notion that this government is coming along and saying 'we really want to plan spending on social security but, by the way, pensions, which is one of the biggest drivers of social security, is not going to be planned' is absolute nonsense," he said.
"The point that Ed was making was that of course you've got to plan pensions. One way or another, you've got to plan pension spending. The notion that that is controversial seems to me ludicrous.""The point that Ed was making was that of course you've got to plan pensions. One way or another, you've got to plan pension spending. The notion that that is controversial seems to me ludicrous."
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