18:30 - 19:00
Chaired by Miles Jupp, with panellists Rachel Johnson, Desmond Lynam and Mark Steel.
I have no inside knowledge about this, but I do have a hunch: do not be surprised if within the next 6-12 months, David Miliband replaces Cathy Ashton in Brussels as the EU's foreign affairs head honcho.
She hasn't been a conspicuous success, he damn near took the job before it was offered to her ... it would make sense, wouldn't it?
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~27~RS~)
© 2012
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11316855
Tweedledum and Tweedledee
Agreed to have a battle;
For Tweedledum said Tweedledee
Had spoiled his nice new rattle.
Just then flew down a monstrous crow,
As black as a tar-barrel;
Which frightened both the heroes so,
They quite forgot their quarrel
Some say, compar'd to Bononcini
That Mynheer Handel's but a Ninny
Others aver, that he to Handel
Is scarcely fit to hold a Candle
Strange all this Difference should be
'Twixt Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee!
"Former Labour leader Lord Kinnock"
What a joke, a former socialist leader of the Labour party turned aristocrat. Talk about upward mobility and opportunism.
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The class struggle continues and British pensioners complain about heating bills.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/queen-tried-to-use-state-poverty-fund-to-heat-buckingham-palace-2088179.html
Marcus what do you have against Aristocrats ?
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acorn;
"Marcus what do you have against Aristocrats ?"
Nothing. With the right recipe they make an excellent meal. Just ask
Sam Adams. They were the secret kick in his brews. I'll bet Robert Mugabe enjoyed a dish or two of theim also.
Boomin' Betty Boothroyd: "Mister Neal Kinnok;"
Throngs of MPs (Mostly Potted): Hrrrrrrhrrrr (expletive deleted)
(Boomin' Betty Boothroyd Again): Awda! Awda!
Neal Kinnock: Would the prime minister agree that his government's policies have resulted in the deaths of countless poor people as a result of his government protecting the profits of ruthless murdering thieving capitalists who suck their blood by night, steal their labor by day, and celebrate their profits at the Tory's gala fund raising bashes when they are not on holiday in the Bahamas while my constituents are starving on rock soup?
Mostly Potteds; Hrrrrrharrrr (expletive deleted)
Boomin' Betty; Awda! Awda! We'd all like to hear what the Prime Minister has to say!
PM Majors: I refer the gentleman to the reply I gave some moments ago.
The foregoing was not an actual exchange but a hypothetical representation of the relative positions of the Labour Party when Neal Kinnock was a commoner and the Conservatives when they were in power during the Thatcher/Majors government. Now the situation has reversed and reversed again but nothing has actually changed except that Britain is bankrupt.
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I was happy that Ed Miliband beat his brother for the Labour leader position. Ed is to the left of David from what I have been reading in the Guardian and elsewhere and I believe that Tony Blair and the short-lived Gordon Brown experiment has led Labour astray over the years. But coming back to the question of where David will end up is the following observation. David served as Gordon Brown's foreign secretary and from all appearances enjoyed his experience and did well in it. He may well have more of an aptitude for a job in foreign diplomacy as you implied and could become more effective than Lady Ashton in the new position of EU foreign affairs minister. But Ed is pushing hard for his brother to become the shadow chancellor under Ed's team according to reports so David may well end up in that position. Since in my observation, Ed Miliband is more focused on domestic political changes in Britain than David Miliband seems to be, I would like to see David move to Brussels and not become shadow chancellor where he could find himself in possible conflict with his brother's agenda as Gordon Brown was reputed to have been with Tony Blair's agenda. Blair was reported to have leaked recently that at one point he was worried about the "bad" behavior of Gordon Brown while at 11 Downing Street.
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There is much more of importance happening in the whole of Europe than who gets an EU job. In practically every country the citizenry is polarizing more into Left and Right and the ´Milibands´are a sign of the times.
The ´conservative´ Left are being chipped away at the edges in most European countries and Britain is no exception.
If the austerity programs offer no ´light at the end of the tunnel ´other than that of an approaching train from the other direction, there WILL be a turn to the Left within Europe ---with Britain´s participation.
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acorn;
"Marcus what do you have against Aristocrats ?"
The phenomenon of Dame Ann Leslie makes a good case for skewering them and boiling them in oil.
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#7 Marcus
Recent American studies have also shown a lack of upward mobility (financial) within the society.
Who do you blame for that ?
Fat Aristocats ?
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Not surprisingly the Guardian has written an article explaining in detail "Why David Miliband felt he could not stay on at the frontbench." He did not make up his mind to drop out of the running for a cabinet position until after the final vote at the Labour convention since he was a contender for PM until the final tally. He agonised over the decision to reject a cabinet position but decided to drop out after reasoning that he wanted to give his brother Ed a free hand and not hobble him with political speculation over their relationship such as that which caused so much problem in the Blair-Brown cabinet. It appears that his closest advisors told him this and believed that after 20 years in politics he needs time to think about his career and what he plans to do in the future. Makes a lot of sense and it shows the quality of his thinking about politics.
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#8 smartsceptic
I think your analysis on David Miliband is correct. He looks and talks like a PM. I don't wish to seem rude but Ed looks like he is on a school project. He looks out of his depth. As I'm someone on that side of the political spectrum I hope he proves me wrong.
I still don't think David will go to Brussels though Robin.
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