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Ed Miliband’s Blair meetings

March 1, 2012 10:10 am

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The Sun has an interesting scoop this morning, getting confirmation that Ed Miliband has had four meetings with Tony Blair since he became Labour leader 18 months ago. That’s something which has been discussed in Labour circles – especially in light of Blair’s meetings with 2010 intake MPs – but hadn’t been confirmed until now. Miliband has also held meetings with senior members of the Blair cabinet – including Peter Mandelson and John Hutton – over the past year.  The Sun reports a party source saying:

“They talked about the need for Labour to be in the centre ground of British politics. They also discussed Ed’s idea of the ‘squeezed middle’ and how best to help hard-working families in these difficult times.”

That echoes what many of those identified with New Labour have been saying in both public and in private – that the centre ground in 2015 will not be the same as it was in 1997. The disagreement within that group is whether or not Miliband is on the right track when it comes to identifying that centre ground.

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  • Daniel Speight

    How very sad. Same old gang again.

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1557475545 Jack Bonner

      I think 4 meetings with Blair in 2 years isn’t bad. The thing with advice is that you don’t have to take it. Ed is still learning and if I were in his position I’d appreciate talking to someone who’s been there and done that. 

      • AlanGiles

        If Blair was only giving him make-up tips that might just about be acceptable, but sadly I fear Blair will be Svengali to Miliband’s Trilby

        • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Homfray/510980099 Mike Homfray

          But is there any evidence of that?

          • treborc

            We will soon know  by the way the new intake act, how they will deal with people. Scotland had an answer to labour when it lost it’s way, you’d better be careful labour  does not get the same message at the next election.

        • UKAzeri

          Consider it a test. Its better we know what influencess Ed the most before the election than after…

      • Jeff_Harvey

        How much do you suppose Tony charged Ed for his consultancy?

  • treborc

    That’s OK no problem, anyone who thought Blair would really walk away from his legacy would well be daft. I’m sure Blair has had an influence over the last intake of MPs most seem to be the new labour type.But it does look more and more like the period after Thatcher had gone with the in fighting to keep her ideals alive.The idea that a person who earns £13,000 a year if they are lucky will some how believe they are Middle class is beyond me, you cannot find a place within the labour movement for the poorest in society, so you  tell them they are an add on.Labour is now the party of the middle class, but so are the Tories, will be interesting to see the deals on offer to them.

  • AlanGiles

    Mandy, Blair, Hutton(!) – I assume the same Hutton now such a favourite with the Conservative party?.

    Well, we might all as well give up now – what on earth persuaded Ed Miliband to associate himself with these toxic names of the past. Sad, mad, incomprehsible, foolhardy and most definately revolting

    If this is the new direction for Labour, then I may well join the Greens formally.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Homfray/510980099 Mike Homfray

      Its usual procedure to meet with ex-PM’s and Ministers. Pretty clearly given recent comments which suggest these people are not entirely content, Ed is ploughing his own furrow but wishes to keep communication open. That makes absolute sense. He is the party leader and that means trying to keep together all sides of the party, as difficult as that might be (and perhaps as undesirable as i certainly think at times!)

    • treborc

      But expected

    • Chilbaldi

      You clearly dislike the party and aren’t comfortable with the politics that won Labour 3 terms in government. so what is holding you back?

      • Jeff_Harvey

        What you do when you win is the thing that matters not necessarily winning for its own sake per se. 

      • treborc

        Do you now think you will get back in with Blair  and his ilk again, if you do then fine no problem we will see in three years time. Because the Tories are now in power and can drive their way forward by ensuring the middle class are not so squeezed which as we all know they will do in buckets  just before the next election

    • RedMan

      If you to join an unelectable, toxic, irritating buch of hippies who are going nowhere with some policies that would make someone who is to the left of Michael Foot blush, then be my guest. They think that growth is wrong and that we should have no cuts at all, but reduce the debt by spending £40bn extra every single year. If you want to be part of that mess, then we’d be better off without you. By the way, Lord Hutton is Labour through and through which cannot be said about you!

    • Alexwilliamz

      To be fair Ed meets Cameron generally around once a week.

  • http://twitter.com/robertsjonathan Jonathan Roberts

    Some of the regular commentators on Labour List are going to have an absolute field day with this! Enjoy it lads!

    • treborc

      I’m not New labour you obviously are.

      • http://twitter.com/robertsjonathan Jonathan Roberts

        Correct.

        • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Homfray/510980099 Mike Homfray

          and I’m definitely not, but really, its obvious that there will be meetings between Ed and all sorts of people!

          • treborc

            But like it or not Blair walked away he gave up, did not stay as an MP, walked out before all the problems labour had to sort out went to American before Bush  left, all by accident.

            Now he is having meetings with Miliband? why money perhaps

    • AlanGiles

      Believe it or not Jonathan I feel sorry for Ed Miliband. If he finds it necessary to speak to Mandy, God help him – he must be devoid of ideas of his own . Mandy didn’t do Gordon much good did he?

      • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Homfray/510980099 Mike Homfray

         There is such a thing as ‘keeping the peace’….

        • AlanGiles

          Yes, Mike you’re right. But I am afraid P Mandelson  will always be a red rag to bull as far as I am concerned!

      • http://twitter.com/robertsjonathan Jonathan Roberts

        It’s a fair enough point of view Alan – I know you and I have different views on that part of Labour’s history but I think it would be reasonable to keep in touch with ex-leaders as I suspect they are a source of knowledge and experience.  Leaders get advice from all sorts of people, but true leadership is really about listening to all the arguments and then making a decision based not just on the advice you’ve been given but also your own ideas and views.  Where I think you are right is that if Ed has a lot of ideas, he hasn’t really expressed them yet.

        Remember Tony Blair used to have regular meetings with Dennis Skinner.  The two will have agreed on very little I suspect, but it doesn’t mean it’s not important to listen to voices of experience across the range of the political spectrum.

        • treborc

          But he’s not an MP now I’d want to know why he’s being granted access to speak to anyone he gone he made the choice himself to leave.

          • http://twitter.com/robertsjonathan Jonathan Roberts

            I’m not sure it’s about ‘granting access’.  I strongly assume Ed went to Tony, not the other way around.

            But if you don’t think someone who was leader of the Labour Party for 13 years and Prime Minister for 10 is someone who a new Labour leader should meet with from time to time, then that’s your own business.

          • treborc

            I suspect Ed may need advice on welfare, housing and the NHS, it’s pretty obvious he has little views of his own, but hell plenty of people around to give Ed solid advice on socialism drop a line to the Welsh leader

        • treborc

           Tony Blair was a member and an MP he’s not now

        • AlanGiles

          Hello Jonathan: The one thing I would urge EM to do is not to listen too closely to Mandelson – for one thing I (and I don’t need to recite them here) his reputation and integrity within the party, and without, are not of the highest, and secondly, he just cannot help meddling and plotting, always to his own advantage.

          I take the point about talking to ex-PM’s, fair enough, but JH no and PM DEFINATELY no!

    • treborc

       It is good shows how open labour are today, fourteen years in power and the biggest down turn in living history, say what you like new labour did nothing  small.

    • treborc

       well some of the new labour crowd will be weeping with joy that Blair has not left the room, or given up on them, they can dust down the photo of him they have in the toilet.

  • derek

    Apparently Blair wanted to serenade Ed with a bit of  Nat!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ruz3vA0uP1c 

    • treborc

       we will know in a few years time

  • Jeff_Harvey

    I’ll just throw a handful of earth into the grave and walk silently away…

  • UKAzeri

    I’d be worried if he didnt!! a good leader has to be able to communicate with every camp within the movement and especially with such a prominent one.

    Keep your friends close and your enemies closer :) ))

  • mactheanti

    There is nothing remarkable about this, I would be worried if he did not want to meet with past leaders and ministers etc. I do not like Hutton, but why should I allow my own personal dislikes to colour my judgement of Ed Miliband? Some of the comments written on here look like they belong in the playground, “I’m not gonna’ be friends with you any more if you talk to him/her again” honestly it’s pathetic.

    Ed is obviously his own man and is obviously going to walk his own path – good, because I do not want a arrogant, ineffectual liar for a PM, I have enough trouble putting up with the one we have at present!

    Ed Miliband is being grossly underestimated by his own party, but not however, by the Tories, despite their warblings, their accusations and lies and all the unnecessary personal abuse thrown at him, Ed Miliband is still standing, weaker men than Ed Miliband may have buckled by now.

    I listen to what he has to say with interest because I know that once the expected insults and attacks from the usual suspects, the right wing press and the Tories and their poodles has abated, it will not be long before they take up Ed’s suggestions, (it’s happened a few times now).

    Ed Miliband’s record since becoming leader actually speaks for itself and actually its pretty impressive.
    With regard to his personal ratings, do they even matter a jot? Labour keep this kind of lead in the polls, then even Cameron’s gerrymandering of the boundaries will not be enough to keep Labour out and his personal ratings won’t really matter in the end.

    The Tories realise this of course, I just wonder why some in the Labour party are still wearing blinkers.

    • Jeff_Harvey

      “Ed Miliband’s record since becoming leader actually speaks for itself and actually its pretty impressive.”

      Would you care to refresh my memory and list, say, Miliband’s top ten – or even his top five – most impressive achievements since he became Labour leader?

    • treborc

      But Blair is not even an MP any more he made the break, not even sure he is a member of the labour party, so I would be worried if he’s having meetings with labour

      • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Homfray/510980099 Mike Homfray

        That’s just silly. I’m no Blairite as my posts and views indicate – but he’s a former Labour PM, so of course he is going to meet with him

        And there were some good things which happened under the last government, but some fatal errors too.

        • treborc

           But he’s former he left the party, his meeting I suspect will be more to do with his address book and his furtherance of his own private political money making, or ensuring his bloody third way is alive.

          Blair does nothing for labour if he is having meeting you can bet a penny to a pound it’s about him not labour.

          If New labour is dead as we are being told then simple why is Blair having meeting, if he was an MP, I’d say it was his right, but he deserted labour before the war he started had ended, he ran so fast to make his money from the promised world of Bush,
          .

          If Blair is back in Labour then you can bet he’s after something

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Homfray/510980099 Mike Homfray

      Because they just can’t get over the fact that Ed won and David didn’t. Still. Its only a minority and there are many who accept the result and want to move forward and work with Ed, but they just can’t stop complaining

      • treborc

        In three years time if labour wins I will accept I was wrong, right now I believe the public will not go for Ed in the same manner they did not go for Kinnock

        • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Homfray/510980099 Mike Homfray

          The alternative was David Miliband, whose views and stance are much closer to New Labour, which you claim to oppose.

          • RedMan

            Well, David Miliband is fundementally popular, Prime Ministerial and electable. Ed Miliband is unknown and is struggling. With David we can definately win the next election without a doubt, but with Ed I’m not so sure.

          • treborc

            Ed says he’s not New labour then he tells us about what he believes in, well no he does not, he wants nice banks, he wants nice firms/employers, he does not want social housing, he does not want welfare, he after a very long spell comes out for the NHS but his minister has to to tell us he likes some of the NHS reforms then has to say whoops no I do not.

            Ed and his boys and girls like Education and private schools or free school call them what you like.

            The problem for Ed so far he is not leading he’s following, mostly the media.

            I have not a single clue what Ed is he’s not telling us sorry oh yes people on the min wage are so proud of it they have all decided they are middle class.

            It sad to say Ed is Kinnock except at least Kinnock gave it a go

          • http://twitter.com/HarryThompson11 Harry Thompson

            Following? Like when he was the first political leader in decades to stop sucking up to the Murdoch Empire, and actually call for it to be scrapped?

            Was that following the media?

            Is he following the media by opposing the universally popular (but hugely awful) welfare reform bill?

          • treborc

            Was being the god father of Murdock’s children just being nice.

            Labour and Blair brought in the welfare reforms, for me if they bring in a cap on benefits it’s not going to hurt me I’m not getting £26,000 a year, DLA to PIPs is better then doing what labour wanted and ending it with nothing else taking it’s place.

            Labour voting in the welfare reforms mate….

            This is without wars.

  • Chilbaldi

    This is good, but is it for real or is it a PR stunt by EM to make him look more credible?

    • Jeff_Harvey

      I hope this comment is satirical.

      • treborc

         Nope New labour

      • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Homfray/510980099 Mike Homfray

        I hardly think the Sun would do anything to assist Ed Miliband or Labour!

  • GuyM

    Again, only the party that enjoys the People’s Judean Front clashing with the Front for the Judean People could get itself in such a tissy over the current Labour leader meeting the most electorally successful Labour leader ever.

    Can you imagine a similar headline for the Tories?

    “Shock as John Major has meeting with Baroness Thatcher”

    or maybe

    “Cameron in secret meeting with Thatcher and Major”

    I think a large majority on the left really do prefer ideological purity over governance.

    • Jeff_Harvey

      In point of fact many of us found this meeting more surprising:

      Brown welcomes Thatcher to No 10

      The concern in respect to Ed Miliband’s covert meetings with Tony Blair is not so much about the wrongness of these trysts but more to do with the implication that Miliband Junior really doesn’t have any significant original ideas of his own or any real purpose and is in reality simply a hollow vessel ready to be filled with rank and stinking water drawn from New Labour’s polluted well.

      Ideological purity?

      Well, personally, I see no point in the Labour Party winning power and being returned to office if they then embark on a neo-Liberal programme which wrecks misery in the lives of the innocent and the helpless. 

      That’s what the Conservative Party is for.

  • corkster

    Ed is still learning – he didn’t make a great start.  I think the front bench should get right behind him.  Ed Balls is the problem – he is right to a point with his economic arguments but too close to be associated with the last govt.  There is nothing wrong or bad about meeting the most successful Labour  PM in its history.  Blair won elections.  You have to go back 40 years before that for a Labour leader to have won after one term in opposition. 

  • irateofsurrey

    Shock horror, Ed meets with past leader who won 3 elections, is still (I assume a member of the Labour Party)! This is just the murdoch empire trying to divert attention from the number of meetings their senior executives have held with Cabinet  members of the present Government (and probably the last one as well) , which will I understand be coming under the spotlight of the Leveson Enquiry soon.

  • Daniel Speight

    Of  course if it was just innocent meetings then we wouldn’t need a Sun scoop to break the story. Far better for Ed Miliband to say at the time he was meeting with Blair. Why hide it? Because he knows he appealed to those in the party that dislike Blair during the leadership election. Just a quick word for Tom Bishop and the other spin meisters; maybe those people dislike dishonesty from our MPs and leaders even more than than they dislike Blair.

  • treborc

    I see calling your self RedMan is due to being in the sun to much. If your backing New labour mate then purple, Black or even Blue man would be better.

  • robertcp

    I am sure that Blair could give very good advice on winning elections but he was an awful Prime Minister from a left of centre point of view.

  • AlanGiles

    ”
     By the way, Lord Hutton is Labour through and through which cannot be said about you!”

    Hutton was a Tory in his younger days and is now assisting the coalition.

    I am not Labour?   If you say so.

    • treborc

       I’m not labour and that’s for sure not this bunch of tw*ts who would not know socialism if it bit them on the ass.

  • treborc

    yes but your not in power now, perhaps the hippies might have seen something, perhaps they saw the housing and the banking crises, sure as hell labour did not. Brown stated wait until you see my Vision, if he had asked a few hippies about vision they could have given him something.

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