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Milburn tells PM: Don't betray Blair

Former health secretary warns party against lurching to the left

By Andrew Grice, Political Editor

Alan Milburn: 'The old top-down approach to governance will no longer work'

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Alan Milburn: 'The old top-down approach to governance will no longer work'

Alan Milburn, the former cabinet minister, has warned Gordon Brown not to abandon Blairite policies and urged him to change his personal style by replacing "monologue" with "dialogue".

Writing in The Independent today, Mr Milburn says "the old top-down approach to governance will no longer work". He believes the Prime Minister's focus on the economy has left a dangerous void on other domestic policy issues, and he predicts that Labour will lose the general election expected next year unless it develops a wide-ranging, forward-looking agenda. The former health secretary appeals to Mr Brown to reject pressure from some allies to respond to the financial crisis by lurching to the left.

He declares that properly regulated markets, capitalism and globalisation are good. In a jibe at what critics see as Mr Brown's control freakery, Mr Milburn calls on him to change the culture of Labour Party politics and to follow Barack Obama's lead by adopting an open, engaging politics "that favours dialogue over monologue".

The intervention of Mr Milburn, the MP for Darlington, will increase the pressure on the Prime Minister after a disastrous few weeks. He adds to the criticism levelled at Mr Brown by former ministers including David Blunkett, Charles Clarke, Stephen Byers and Frank Field, and the attack on the Government's "lamentable" communications by the Communities Secretary Hazel Blears.

Blairites are alarmed by a speech by Mr Brown on Tuesday in which he attacked the Conservative Party for supporting "market forces" to raise standards in schools. They fear that it signalled a retreat from the public service reforms championed by Tony Blair, and could leave the field clear for the Tory leader David Cameron to promise to complete them.

In his article, Mr Milburn argues that the challenges facing Labour can no longer be met by "a mix of extra resources and top-down reforms", saying citizens must be empowered and services made accountable to local communities – who could take over the running of children's centres, estates and parks.

Mr Milburn denies that the Blairite approach is redundant following the collapse of the banks, and believes "more, not less, New Labour" is needed. He fears the Government may throw out the baby with the bathwater by seeking more state control. "The left must avoid the trap of countering an argument about less state by making a case for more state," he writes. "The job of progressives is not to kill capitalism but to civilise it – by making it work in the public interest."

Last night, Mr Brown's allies admitted that the need to respond to the economic crisis had diverted attention from other issues, but insisted that the Prime Minister accepted the need to develop a wider policy agenda in order to win a fourth term in office. They strongly denied that he was moving away from Mr Blair's reforms.

Harriet Harman, Labour's deputy leader, rebuked former ministers such as Mr Milburn for criticising the Prime Minister, saying they risked wrecking Labour's general election prospects. She said they should stop being "political pundits" and added: "We don't want anybody who is part of Labour's team in Parliament giving people the impression we are anything other than completely focused on giving the help they need at this time."

Yesterday, Mr Brown endured an uncomfortable session of Prime Minister's Questions, in which he was ridiculed by Mr Cameron over Ms Blears's searing criticism in a Sunday newspaper article. The Tory leader, who renewed his call for an immediate general election, questioned why Ms Blears was still in the Cabinet.

Claiming that the Government was in "terminal decline", he suggested that Mr Brown was now "the issue" on the doorsteps and isolated within his own Cabinet. "You are the only one who thinks you are any good," he told the Prime Minister.

Mr Brown, noting that Mr Cameron did not mention policy issues in any of his six questions, told the Tory leader: "You are completely out of your depth when it comes to the big issues."

Later, the Prime Minister held a 30-minute private meeting with the actress Joanna Lumley, leader of the campaign to secure greater residence rights for Gurkha veterans – on which he suffered his first Commons defeat last week. Afterwards, Ms Lumley said she trusted Mr Brown to "do the right thing" and he would "come up with a new solution by the end of this month". But Downing Street insisted Mr Brown had made no commitment to speed up the Government's response, which is due by July.

Lord Mandelson, the Business Secretary, accused Mr Cameron of talking the British economy down by speaking about "an age of austerity" and warned that this could jeopardise the recovery. "This attempt to make us feel worse about ourselves may have an understandable electoral motivation. But its effect, if we are not careful, will be felt beyond politics," the peer said in a speech in London.

"If insecurity breeds economic hopelessness, we risk cutting ourselves off from the economic opportunities and growth markets the world economy offers us. Sapping our nation's will to succeed won't help us win in global markets."

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Pow, another nuLabour clanger
[info]ancientoneuk wrote:
Thursday, 7 May 2009 at 12:05 am (UTC)
"Don't betray Blair"...?

That's rich seeing as the traitor Blair and the treacherous nuLabour betrayed EVERY single British person in this country.

No Mr Brown, don't betray Blair, stop blocking the continued attempt to have the bastard arrested for war crimes and do something for Britain.
Tony B Liar
[info]someofusknow wrote:
Thursday, 7 May 2009 at 12:36 am (UTC)
I don't think it is a clanger; I think it is a cynical attempt to manipulate public opinion.

In practice, Blair's legacy is to be remembered as Tony B Liar, seller of honours, manipulator, traitor and war criminal.

Gordon Brown is headed towards being remembered as Gordon Clown, prize idiot who should never have been allowed anywhere near the seat of power.
we go horizontal and have plenty of chaos.
[info]famulla wrote:
Thursday, 7 May 2009 at 06:06 am (UTC)
I like the phrase, From Top Down this will not work. The Vertical will not work. Therefore, we go horizontal and have plenty of chaos.
"The old top-down approach to governance will no longer work".
When I was in an audit firm, I was employed as a trainee. The Article ship was, ?you are a trainee, then you go up as a semi junior to go again as junior, then you are semi senior to become senior. You are a supervisor to become a tax or audit manager. You skip any of the stages you are drafting the balance sheet, making tea, sweeping the floor, going to banks, clear the tax query, see the client. You end up with one balance sheet a month. This is silly and not profitable at all to any. See this above in this manner and may be it will strike to you that we had the division of labour by the army majors. There were the front rows like we have in football, then there spear men, the kickers of the ball, and then we had the defence, here in golly.
Put all in one line and all run for the ball, and then we get the game ruined.
Is this stupid or wise.
Moreover, this we are talking of politics where the country is at stake and at this time.
This is a rubbish statement and childish.
I thank you
Firozali A. Mulla
Who is betraying Tony Blaire Why follow Japan, China, India, and Pakistan
[info]famulla wrote:
Thursday, 7 May 2009 at 06:21 am (UTC)
Milburn tells PM: Don't betray Blair
Who is betraying Tony Blaire by following the wrong path?
He declares that properly regulated markets, capitalism and globalisation are good. In a jibe at what critics see as Mr Brown's control freakery, Mr Milburn calls on him to change the culture of Labour Party politics and to follow Barack Obama's lead by adopting an open, engaging politics "that favours dialogue over monologue".
Maggie would not like to read this lot. All are without houses and prison and hospitals are full. Where does one go?
What Mr. Milburn says? ?Follow Obama's lead by adopting an open, engaging politics "that favours dialogue over monologue".
Tell me. Why not follow Mrs. Bhutto or Mr. Playboy of Italy. Alternatively, Chavez. The better choice is to follow the wise who do not lead us to wars. Tony Blaire sadly missed the history of the famous, followed Bush, sadly too in the history and we are in Iraq from 2001 to date. Mr. Brown is pulling out some of the soldiers. Do we still follow Blaire and send more to Iraq and Afghanistan?
Does Mr. Milburn have the passport of Mexico?
He seems to go, as the historian would say, ?Down the pipe?. Never to come up again and keep him there. Why follow Japan, China, India, and Pakistan when you have intelligent politicians who have rulled England for so many decades.
I thank you
Firozali A. Mulla
Re: Who is betraying Tony Blaire Why follow Japan, China, India, and Pakistan
[info]tominlondon wrote:
Thursday, 7 May 2009 at 07:54 am (UTC)
That's it. Just follow the Americans, Bush, Obama, whoever. Just follow them.
Re: Who is betraying Tony Blaire Why follow Japan, China, India, and Pakistan
[info]famulla wrote:
Thursday, 7 May 2009 at 11:54 am (UTC)
That's it. Just follow the Americans, Bush, Obama, whoever. Just follow them.
UK has No choice now.except to follow all SAD BAD YES IT IS
Blair? Put Your Country First Plz...
[info]zansal wrote:
Thursday, 7 May 2009 at 07:00 am (UTC)
The message from the voters ought to be "You have betrayed this Country for FAR TOO LONG".
Sod Blair
[info]tallbendyman wrote:
Thursday, 7 May 2009 at 07:02 am (UTC)
what about betraying the country?
Re: Sod Blair
[info]cronyblatcher wrote:
Thursday, 7 May 2009 at 07:19 am (UTC)
Blatcherism's sociopaths are not easily exterminated. Step forward Cromwell before people lose the heart and will to support a sweeper
Poor implementation of superficially good policies.
[info]richardjeff wrote:
Thursday, 7 May 2009 at 07:31 am (UTC)
The Blair legacy divides into two parts: The Iraq war. Misjudged, mismanaged, misrepresented; His policies: great on paper, full of rich promises but badly delivered. Much of the media have tried to present the government as corrupt but, in fact, in terms of incidents of corruption or very poor judgement that might be presented as corruption by some, they fall short of the benchmark created by the Conservations both previously and within the period of the Labour rule.

What labour lacked was competence in depth at the level of management ability to implement cost effectively the ;policies and that stemmed from a naivety about the mechanisms of realpolitik in the civil services and others around Whitehall.

Another nail was economic naivety in believe what the City advisers told them and failing to see the self interest and greed that had built up into their culture. They also were too frightened politically to stand apart from the USA's most ideological administration under Bush.

They also ran scared of terrorism, or at least felt they had to be sen as strong, and allowed terrorists to win by reacting in such a way that they reduced the democratic aspects of the UK.
"what (WonderTone) lacked" as a professionbal opportunist
[info]cronyblatcher wrote:
Thursday, 7 May 2009 at 07:58 am (UTC)
Was an attention span longer than 24 and sonthing to focus his attention away from a certain personal pension plan.
Re: Poor implementation of superficially good policies.
[info]tominlondon wrote:
Thursday, 7 May 2009 at 08:06 am (UTC)
terrorism = what Blair did.
Lurching to the left
[info]tominlondon wrote:
Thursday, 7 May 2009 at 07:52 am (UTC)
So there you have it. The Labour Party is afraid of becoming a left-wing party.
Re: Lurching to the left
[info]alan_honiton wrote:
Thursday, 7 May 2009 at 08:34 am (UTC)
Keep lurching, Gordon. I look forward to reading the second longest suicide note in history. Your failed 'big government' crusade has effectively sanitised capitalism's big balls up, and now it's all about competence, honesty and good governance - issues that Labour has never been comfortable with.
Monologue vs Dialogue
[info]rwthplb wrote:
Thursday, 7 May 2009 at 09:31 am (UTC)
It beggars belief that Millburn is calling for 'dialogue'. We were promised (I have the documents) big conversations with our 'elected' government, consultations galore, you name it, they were listening.

LIES.

LIES.

LIES.

Would Mr Milburn retire back under the stone please.
Re: Monologue vs Dialogue
[info]tominlondon wrote:
Thursday, 7 May 2009 at 10:22 am (UTC)
I don't remember there ever being a dialogue with Milburn about privatising the NHS and contracting it all out to crooked American "healthcare providers". I must have missed that.

Keep Our NHS Public !

http://www.keepournhspublic.com
Blair & Brown: You have betrayed our nation and culture
[info]rickraider wrote:
Thursday, 7 May 2009 at 09:32 am (UTC)
Don't betray Blair.........you mean Phony Tony who conned every single person in this country. He the architect of multi-culturalism and the colonisation of our land, he who dazzled the crowd whilst his luddite chancellor picked their pockets. Blair and Brown stand accused in the dock of public opinion as traitors, liars, and incompetents that totally mismanaged the economy.

They have tried to socially engineer Britain and particularly England. They have ruthlessly attacked the English middle classes and dumped poor whites who do not often vote on the way. These two Scottish traitors to the Union have tried to beat and cajole the English into submission, tried to fill our land with foreign cultures whose peoples are grateful for the state handouts. They employed millions in the public sector to become grateful voters too. They have created a state of dependency where they have increased their votes via mass immigration and the threat of public unemployment.

Milburn needs to hang his head in shame for the complete betrayal of the British people. Millions of us are now so bitter we will never ever vote for the nasty sleazy socialists ever again. Blair betrayed the trust of a nation and Brown is just carrying on that nasty NuLabour tradition.
Better to replace "unelected" PM
[info]wildbillhiccup wrote:
Thursday, 7 May 2009 at 11:18 am (UTC)
Come clean and call an election as there is no mandate and any credability Labour had with B.liar has long since evaporated.
The only reason there's no open rebellion against Brown is that its not possible to replace one unelected chump with another without highlighting the lack of democracy which has dogged Browns short rampage through 10 D(r)owning st.

Gordon is definitely not waving.
Stalingrad
[info]thirdman01 wrote:
Thursday, 7 May 2009 at 11:34 am (UTC)
Who set Milburn's alarm clock? The difference between Richard Nixon and Gordon Brown is Nixon was elected. It is the last day at No10 Stalingrad for this lot with their fingers in the till. John Major's lot when caught, at least had the decency to resign. Resign, is not word in New Labour vocabulary. Get real. Claiming 0.88p for a bath plug, video or garden furniture is not endearing to the public. They deserve total annihilation. History may record this the worst government ever. It is time for the 'Agincourt' spirit when faced with defeating odds. Half-backed policies have no merit. New Labour must address the real issues that concern British people. These are destruction of UK manufacturing, out source of jobs to low cost economies in the name of globalisation, rife ageism in the work place, immigration, failed multiculturalism, ghetto neighbourhoods, social deprivation, knife and gun crime, illegal immigration from lorries arriving at Dover. Stopping the bankers and foreign owned energy and water companies exploiting us. For Gordon it is 'The Last Stand', he needs the guts to address the issues the people expect addressing. Gordon was in the wings of Blair for so long. Fiddling with the economy and creating economic ruin. Waiting for his day. He sold our gold at the worst possible time and promoted foreign ownership of our companies and national assets. So why not be brave and go out in a blaze of glory than a blitz of shame. Address the issues voters demand addressing. Maybe, then Gordon can turn a few stones and find an odd lost voter turning an annihilation into a mere rout.
UK government nut now. Broke it is I know but the news confirms nuts also.
[info]famulla wrote:
Thursday, 7 May 2009 at 12:06 pm (UTC)
Better to replace "unelected" PM. I like this one. With elected PM, we are in a pipe what will happen if we put an anonymous
I never criticize good government but then UK is different now.
May the Almighty Allah bless you and forgive all our sins. We have potholes and we want to build the Runways. The resident nearby have already complained of the noise of the aircraft, but then we do not care as we have good medical facilities for the deaf and blind. We have problems as the students will be sent to school at the age of four and they will have more criticisms by Ball and sir, some one. The third runway will ask of more land that we have kept for the nuke storage and we have the snipers there who steal the secrets and pass these on to all and ask for few coins. Tell me. Am I crazy or is the UK government nut now. Broke it is I know but the news confirms nuts also.'Anaconda' generator harnesses wave power. A "completely new kind of wave power machine" which resembles a giant swimming sea-snake could be generating energy off the coast of the UK within five years, its developers said today.
Checkmate Group said. Sirs. My advice sincere to you is to get these anaconda checked for swine flu, then seed them to the Nuke starving cities. We will have peace. We can then take care of 250,000 homes at one time without the cabbage juice or these eels.
I do not mind the higher taxes if I get the equal benefit. That is not possible, as we have no government in the world that has cash now.
I thank you
Firozali A. Mulla

[info]dreadmorayeel wrote:
Thursday, 7 May 2009 at 01:44 pm (UTC)
Get lost Milburn...and take all your thuggish NuLabour warmongering zombies with you.

".....the general election expected some time next year"
[info]brumbar wrote:
Thursday, 7 May 2009 at 08:23 pm (UTC)
Is this an unfortunate typo, a horrible mistake, does Milburn know something that we don't or is it an acknowledgement that our great - unelected -leader will find some legalised fiddle in our unwritten constitution to carry on...and on....and on?

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