Yesterday, David Miliband confirmed that he was stepping down from frontline politics, so he could spend more time with his family. The MP for South Shields told Sky News’s political editor Adam Boulton of his decision at his home in an exclusive interview with the broadcaster. Saturday’s shock defeat to his brother Ed Miliband in the Labour leadership battle has made him question and think long and hard about his political future, especially after he was the favourite for the role for months.
In the interview with Boulton, David admits the decision was not easy, but it is the right one, both for him, his brother and the future of the Labour party.
"I will serve to my utmost," "But staying in the shadow cabinet would be a route to real difficulty. "Instead of focusing on winning in 2015 and beyond, the team would be subject to permanent scrutiny of body language - everything from sneezes to comments. "Ed needs open field to lead as he sees fit. I will be a loyal supporter from the backbenches. "It is the cleanest and clearest decision to take, though not the easiest."
On the reaction to the news, Ed Miliband was clearly disappointed, but had nothing but praise for David’s commitment and integrity towards the new Labour generation.
"I spoke to David earlier, and while it would have been fantastic to have him serving in my shadow cabinet, he has made a thoughtful and gracious decision. "It is thoughtful for the family and gracious in terms of the future of the party." "He is a massive talent for our party, and indeed for our country, I'm not going to hide that fact." "We would have been a stronger team with him in it. "But I think that he is right to have made the decision that he has, it is the right decision for him.
If Ed Miliband is going to do the job he is assigned to do, which is to get Labour back into Downing Street in five years time, he already knows how hard the job is going to be and without his brother, who was one of the strongest people in the doomed Gordon Brown regime, it has only got tougher. He now has to show his commitment to the party on his own and take on the coalition government with all the passion he has available to him.
No comments:
Post a Comment