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Ed Miliband likely to meet Barack Obama on US trip next week Ed Miliband likely to meet Barack Obama on US trip
(about 2 hours later)
Ed Miliband is aiming to stage a high-stakes visit to Washington next week likely to include a drop-by meeting with the US president, Barack Obama, the same level of courtesy offered to David Cameron in 2008 when the then leader of the opposition met Obama's predecessor, George Bush. Ed Miliband is aiming to stage a high-stakes visit to Washington next week that will likely include a drop-in meeting with Barack Obama, the same level of courtesy offered to David Cameron in 2008 when the then-leader of the opposition met Obama's predecessor, George Bush.
The Miliband meeting will not be his first encounter with Obama but will be his first visit to Washington in his official capacity of leader of the opposition. The meeting will not be Miliband's first encounter with Obama but the visit to Washington will be his first in his official capacity as leader of the opposition.
It is expected to take place on Monday and will include a speech to Washington thinktank highlighting the confluence in Labour and Democrat thinking about the way the link between economic growth and shared prosperity has broken. It is expected to take place on Monday and will include a speech to a Washington thinktank highlighting the confluence in Labour and Democrat thinking about the broken link between economic growth and shared prosperity.
The US president and British Labour leader are likely to discuss Afghanistan next week since Miliband, if elected, will be involved in the final pullout of British troops. The US president and the Labour leader are likely to discuss Afghanistan, because if elected Miliband will be involved in the final pullout of British troops.
Historically leaders of the British opposition party have had mixed success in visiting American presidents but Labour hopes the longstanding political alliance between the Labour party and the Democrats should guarantee a successful encounter, even though there will be doubts in Washington about the likelihood of Miliband being elected prime minister next year. British opposition leaders have historically had mixed fortunes in visiting US presidents, but Labour hopes the longstanding alliance between the party and the Democrats should guarantee a successful encounter, despite doubts in Washington about the likelihood of Miliband being elected prime minister next year.
Miliband's election campaign strategy is being overseen by one of Obama's longstanding former aides David Axelrod. A prominent Democrat pollster, Stan Greenberg, is also advising him. One of Obama's former aides, David Axelrod, is overseeing Miliband's election campaign. Stan Greenberg, a prominent Democrat pollster, is also advising the Labour leader.
Cameron visited Bush in Washington in 2008 at a time when he was enjoying a 10-point lead in the polls and was widely seen as likely to be the next British prime minister. Tory-Republican relations were poor at the time due to opposition to the Iraq war voiced by Michael Howard, Cameron's predecessor as Conservative leader. Cameron visited Bush in Washington in 2008 with a 10-point lead in the polls and was widely seen as likely to be the next British prime minister. Tory-Republican relations were poor at the time because of opposition to the Iraq war voiced by Michael Howard, Cameron's predecessor as Conservative leader.
Cameron also met Obama as leader of the opposition in July 2008, when Obama was the Democrats' presidential candidate.Cameron also met Obama as leader of the opposition in July 2008, when Obama was the Democrats' presidential candidate.
At a second meeting as opposition leader Cameron held talks with Obama and his most senior staff for half an hour in London at the American embassy's residence once Obama had been elected president. Obama was attending the G20 summit chaired by Gordon Brown as prime minister in April 2009. While still opposition leader, Cameron also held half an hour of talks with Obama and his most senior staff at the US ambassador's residence in London.Obama, who by then had been elected president, was attending the G20 summit chaired by Gordon Brown in April 2009.
The Labour visit next week is bound to be a media minefield for Miliband as the British press will look for any sign of a snub, or indifference to the Labour leader emerging from the White House during the visit. Miliband's visit next week is bound to be a media minefield. The British press will look for any sign of a White House snub, or indifference to the Labour leader.
It has been striking that Miliband has not spent a huge part of his time abroad, although he has been to Afghanistan and to various European countries, often to attend social democrat policy forums. He and his deputy, Harriet Harman, met Obama in 2011 when the America president was in the UK. Miliband has strikingly little time abroad, although he has been to Afghanistan and various European countries, the latter often to attend social democrat policy forums. He and his deputy, Harriet Harman, met Obama in 2011 when the US president was in the UK.
A planned visit to India by Miliband had to be called off due to the winter floods. Obama is due in Britain in September, when he will attend a Nato summit in Wales, and it is possiblehe and Miliband will meet a second time then as a courtesy.
Obama is himself due in Britain in September, when he will attend a Nato summit in Wales, and it is possible they will meet a second time then as a courtesy. Miliband is fond of America – he studied at Harvard and is a baseball fan – but the White House is likely to want to grill him about at his attitude to US intervention in Syria last summer, when it was alleged that Bashar al-Assad had used chemical weapons on his own people, so crossing a red line set by Washington.
Although Miliband is fond of America – he studied at Harvard and is a baseball fan – the White House is likely to want to probe him about at his attitude to American intervention in Syria last summer when it was alleged that Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, had used chemical weapons on his own people, so crossing a red line set by Obama. Labour voted not to endorse intervention, and Cameron was privately furious that concessions he had granted to Miliband did not lead to conditional Labour support in the key Commons vote. Labour in turn was surprised that Cameron saw the Commons vote as a final rejection of intervention.
Labour voted against endorsing intervention and Cameron was privately furious that concessions he granted Miliband did not lead to conditional Labour support in the key Commons vote. Labour in turn was surprised that Cameron saw the Commons vote as a final rejection of any intervention. The vote in London also emboldened critics opponents of intervention in the US Congress, which in turn led the Russian president, Vladimir Putin to use his influence to persuade Damascus to hand over the bulk of its chemical weapons.
The Commons vote in turn emboldened critics in Congress opposed to any military action against Assad, which in turn led to the Russian president, Vladimir Putin using his influence to persuade the Syrian government to hand over the bulk of its chemical weapons supply.