David Miliband: Let’s take the deficit argument head on

By Mark Ferguson / @markfergusonuk

UPDATE: David Miliband has also launched a petition this morning, asking people whether they back the call for the government to withdraw charitable status from private schools, which was one of LabourList’s New Ideas for a Renewed Movement series last summer.

Writing in the Guardian today, David Miliband argues that the emergency budget next week will “shape the terms of politics for the rest of this parliament.”

Miliband sets four tests to show that we have “learnt the right lessons from the global economic collapse”, listing them as:

“First, tightening the public purse must not compromise private sector growth.

Second, the balance between spending cuts and tax rises must be struck in the interests of fairness and growth.

Third, Britain should be leading the charge for global growth not ratcheting up the race to global austerity.

…my fourth test is to be transparent with the public about the decisions we take.”

As we get closer to the budget, David Miliband and Ed Balls in particular have been keen to attack the new government on economic grounds. This is part of a strategy to show that each would be the best leader in opposition to take the fight to the conservatives – and it’s something we can expect more of not just in the coming days, but in the coming months.