Douglas Alexander says Iraq did more harm than good – Media and blog round up: February 15th 2013

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Douglas Alexander – Iraq did more harm than good

“If you look at the ledger with a 10-year perspective, the negatives outweigh the positives,” he said. Alexander was a junior minister at the time of the Iraq war and in the past he has been less willing to criticise the decision to go to war in 2003 than some of his Labour colleagues. His comment about negatives outweighing positives echoes language used by David Miliband on this subject. – The Guardian

McCluskey hits out at “Blairite Zombies”

“So determined are the Blairite true believers – led by Progress – to stick their head in the sand on this point that they increasingly resemble Bertolt Brecht’s description of the East German government – “the people have lost confidence in the party, therefore we must elect a new people.” The central message, which Ed Miliband is clear about, is that New Labour is over. I should also point out that I have never called for the exclusion of Progress and I am always open to engaging in democratic debate. The root of the problem, I believe, is that Tony Blair and the Blairites never understood collectivism. Theirs was a radical individualism which could not speak to the experiences of millions of people who have always understood that progress is only attainable by working together, by collective self-empowerment, not through the accumulation of extra individual rights. Individual rights, as this coalition is proving, are easily dismantled. A skim of Blair’s memoirs underlines just how distant he always was from an understanding of unions’ culture and purpose – not so much anti-union as simply uncomprehending.” – New Statesman

Other highlights

• O’Farrell “The only political jokes I know are in the Cabinet” – Mirror
• Ed Miliband is a man with the makings of a brave and visionary leader – Polly Toynbee, Guardian