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Ed Miliband likely to meet Barack Obama on US trip Ed Miliband likely to meet Barack Obama on US trip
(about 7 hours later)
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. Ed Miliband is aiming to stage a high-stakes visit to Washington next week that is expected to 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 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. The meeting will not be Miliband's first encounter with the US president 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 a Washington thinktank highlighting the confluence in Labour and Democrat thinking about the broken link between economic growth and shared prosperity. It is expected to take place on Monday and will include a speech to a Washington thinktank the Centre for American Progress highlighting the confluence in Labour and Democrat thinking about the broken link between economic growth and shared prosperity.
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. The US president and the Labour leader are likely to discuss Afghanistan because Miliband, if elected, will be involved in the final pullout of British troops.
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. Labour officials refused to confirm the visit, but multiple Labour and American sources said that Miliband was planning the trip, probably in the company of the shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander.
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. It is also expected that Tony Blair will deliver a keynote speech next Monday marking the 20 years since he became leader of the Labour party. His remarks are bound to be scrutinised carefully for any criticisms of the Miliband agenda.
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. British opposition leaders have historically had mixed fortunes in visiting busy 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.
Cameron also met Obama as leader of the opposition in July 2008, when Obama was the Democrats' presidential candidate. One of Obama's former aides, David Axelrod, is overseeing the big messages behind Miliband's election campaign. Stan Greenberg, a prominent Democrat pollster, is also advising the Labour leader, so there are strong links between the two parties.
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 Centre for American Progress is providing the secretariat to a transatlantic commission on inclusive prosperity, jointly chaired by the shadow chancellor Ed Balls and the former US Treasury secretary Larry Summers. It was launched a year ago and is due to report in the autumn.
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. 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.
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. While still opposition leader, Cameron 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.
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. Miliband's visit 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.
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. Miliband has had strikingly little time abroad, although he has been to Afghanistan and various European countries. He and his deputy, Harriet Harman, met Obama in 2011 when the US president was in the UK.
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. Obama is due in Britain in September, when he will attend a Nato summit in Wales. It is possible he and Miliband will meet then as a courtesy.
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. Miliband is fond of America – he studied at Harvard and is a baseball fan – but the White House is likely to want to question him about at his attitude to US intervention in Syria last summer, when it was alleged that president Bashar al-Assad had used chemical weapons on his own people, so crossing a red line set by Washington.
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.
The vote in London also emboldened 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.