|
|
 |
| |
Paying the price for saying nothing
THEY say David Miliband is a future contender for the crown
at No 10 Downing Street.
If he mounts the throne he will be, exceptionally, one of the
sharpest intellectuals to have become resident at No 10.
This week the government’s local government minister displayed
another important talent any future leader must be possessed
of: How to answer questions without actually saying anything
that one can be held to in the future.
While boosting Labour’s local electoral chances, Miliband
was pressed as a minister to make some sort of a pledge that
the government would fund the much-needed investment in council
housing in Camden (See page 6).
It was here that Miliband publicly said very little. Is he working
behind the scenes, as some in Labour believe, to move things
forward towards the position of the tenants?
Unfortunately, this school of thought should recognise that
politics doesn’t entirely inhabit a world of make-believe.
At a time when Labour is riven by the contest between Gordon
Brown and Tony Blair, it is hardly likely that anyone high up
in the leadership would want to make an exception of Camden.
It is not clear where Miliband stands apropos the Brown-Blair
battle.
Brownites in Camden would like to believe he is one of them.
But even if he were, there is no evidence that Gordon Brown
is particularly sympathetic to the arguments of the Defend Council
Housing campaign that large scale public investment in housing
is urgently required.
All the signs point in the other direction.
Gordon Brown’s fingerprints, for instance, can be found
all over the Private Finance Initiative schemes that are perilously
mortgaging the future of the National Health Service.
Miliband, effectively, ducked the issue of funding this week.
He – and Labour in Camden – may pay the price in May.
Army out of control
ISRAEL has had a bad press in Britain this week (See page
4). And deservedly so. The killing of young Tom Hurndall wasn’t
simply an accidental tragedy. It occurred, as Gerald Kaufman,
MP, said this week because a group in the Israeli military is
out of control.
Isreal was set up with high hopes in the late 40s, supported
by all the big powers – the US, Russia and Britain. Since
the ’60s it has become part of an outpost of US foreign
policy in the Middle East.
Not only should Tom Hurndall’s killer be extradited to
this country for trial but also those who issued the orders.
Jack Straw will not bring this about. Only a massive public
outcry will. |
|
|
|
