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Original poster

David Miliband: "Should he stay or should he go, now?"

29 replies

SandyThumb · 28/09/2010 22:37

I'm sure there's a song title in there somewhere????

I just heard Nick on the BBC saying that he (Nick) "knew in his heart" that DM will be announcing he is leaving frontline politics tomorrow...

What do you think - will he/ won't he?

And what will he do next?

Personally I think he will go. I imagine he will have all sorts of interesting job offers on the table - he has proved himself as a very able politician/statesman.

OP posts:
llareggub · 28/09/2010 22:39

He should stay, and put his loyalty for party and country before personal motivation. To leave now would be akin to throwing his toys out of the pram.

MollieO · 28/09/2010 22:43

Is that the same Nick Robinson who calculated live on air on Saturday that DM had definitely won the leadership contest? Got that right didn't he? Confused

Original poster
SandyThumb · 28/09/2010 22:44

Yes, in theory, but you could just see all that emotion simmering beneath the surface in the pictures of him watching Ed give his speech.... maybe the best thing for the party would be for him to elave, or else they would be in danger of having another Blair/Brown rivalry situation?

I've been in a situation where I competed with someone else for a job and lost, and I couldn't stay on to work for them, because in my heart I honestly believed I could do the job better than them/ was better qualified etc. (Was pregnant at the time, and he was a bloke, but that's another whole thread... [anger])

OP posts:
Original poster
SandyThumb · 28/09/2010 22:45

Mollie - yes, you're right, LOL - you'd have thought he'd have learnt his lesson!

OP posts:
MollieO · 28/09/2010 22:49

He lost some credibility with me as he was so adamant on Saturday that he had it right. Less than 5 minutes later he had to back track massively.

I can't see DM staying as his politics are fundamentally different to his brother's.

nobodysmama · 28/09/2010 23:02

I think he'll be off to the US in the not too distant future. Think his wife is American or has some sort of connection there plus he was very matey with Hillary Clinton when he was Foreign Secretary.
Don't really blame him for not sticking around - will surely be better for Ed too if he can just get on with things without the press stirring things up between them.

vespasian · 28/09/2010 23:04

I think it will be a loss if he goes. I wish the press would stop harping on about it, they are creating the news rather than reporting it. Paxman has just been ridiculous on Newsnight IMO.

Ewe · 28/09/2010 23:06

According to Benedict Brogan all the steps are in place for him to announce his intention to leave in the morning, probably for the US with his wife and Hillary Clinton.

vespasian · 28/09/2010 23:07

Ahh yes Ms Clinton is a little partial to a spot of Milliband.

alicatte · 28/09/2010 23:11

Perhaps - It does seem a loss somehow.

scaryteacher · 28/09/2010 23:41

Even if he goes, he'll be back when Red Ed has cocked it all up and he can ride to the rescue as the only Labour politician of that generation with any credibility and that the electorate might conceivably vote for. Unless of course, the Prince of Darkness gets in there first.......

Litchick · 29/09/2010 08:45

I think he has to go.

Ed is taking the party in a completely different direction and there is no point David being dragged along kicking and screaming.

It is a shame - David won the majority of the votes cast by the parliamentary party and the ordinary voters. He had the overhwhelming support of the shadow cabinet.

Ladymuck · 29/09/2010 08:48

Labour can't have its manifesto stolen by a fight between 2 men at the top of the party. David has to go, and Labour has to decide whether it wants to stay as a puppet of the unions leaders.

BecauseImWorthIt · 29/09/2010 08:52

But Litchick - he didn't have a majority amongst the rest of those just as equally entitled to vote for the new party leader

The party is about more than just current mps and the shadow cabinet!

But that said, I think it's a shame if he goes - after all, none of the other defeated candidates are saying they won't work for the new leader.

His comments to Harriet Harman yesterday were very unwise. Not that he thought them, but that he said them so publicly - he was foolish if he didn't think that his comments would be 'seen' by the media.

gingercat12 · 29/09/2010 08:52

David has no choice, I don't think Sad. The party badly needs him though.

Yes, his wife is an American citizen, and their children were adopted from the US.

MollysChambers · 29/09/2010 08:58

Unless he can get behind his brother 100% with no bitterness then I think he has to go unfortunately. Their relationship will be under constant scrutiny. The last thing the party needs is another Blair/Brown situation. Of course the press will interpret it as being that way regardless so maybe he doesn't really have any choice but to go.

Bucharest · 29/09/2010 09:01

The same Nick who is always oh-so-non-partisan in his broadcasts? Hmm

I think, and hope David will stay. If he goes, I've misjudged him.

MarionCole · 29/09/2010 09:11

At the weekend I felt strongly that I wanted him to stay, he is a strong statesman and has a lot to offer. I was also impressed by his apparent grace when Ed won. As the week has gone on though, with the focus being on him and what he is going to do, I've been feeling increasingly that he is very self-serving. I would have felt more of him if he had openly supported Ed, said from the start that he would stay and helped unite the party. All this "this week is about Ed, not about me" has been very divisive. Then his reaction to the keynote speech was the final nail in the coffin and I'll be glad to see him go. He's not the man I thought he was and I feel less of him that he can't overcome his resentment for the sake of party unity.

scaryteacher · 29/09/2010 09:25

I'm not by any means a Labour supporter (far from it), and not a fan of either of the Millibands, but Marion, DM is human and he will be feeling resentful. He gave up the chance of a plum EU job to fight for the leadership.

You might be able to get over someone like Ed Balls winning over you, but not your kid brother. There's a whole lifetime of stuff underpinning what he is feeling, and I think less of Ed M for slating the decision to go into Iraq. He will find himself very short of cabinet colleagues if he appoints on a who didn't vote for Iraq basis.

My antipathy for Harperson grew; she voted for Iraq yet sat there like a muppet and clapped when told she had been wrong. She'll do anything to stay in power.

If DM does go, at least he can go with his integrity intact.

TheCrackFox · 29/09/2010 09:37

I think he should stay, if he goes he will appear to be an immature, bitter twit and will lose all credibility. Presumably he cares passionately about the Labour cause or did he just go into politics to further his career?

Further more, David needs to recognise that Ed will be his brother until the day he dies. If he throws all his toys out of the pram he could cause decades of family bitterness.

saucetastic · 29/09/2010 09:47

If he stays there is bound to be conflict at some point between the two of them. As pointed out, their politics are so different. It would be a field day for the media every time they disagree on an issue, and divisive for the party.

David will go onto bigger and better things. He can effect more change from outside the party now.

TwasEverThus · 29/09/2010 09:52

What Molly said.

My dSis is sure he is going and she is, um, v connected to the DM team.

Litchick · 29/09/2010 10:00

Because I'm worth it - yes union memebers are entitled to their vote but as you know it is not one man one vote.

Two large unions brought about Ed's victory.

It would have been much better if he had secured support form all branches of the party. Not least to stave off the 'union man' critisisms.

As it is, the party is divided down the middle and unfortunately two brothers are on either side of it.
It is ugly and bad for the party.

Ed wishes to take the party on a leftist direction. How could David support that?

Gretl · 29/09/2010 10:13

He can't stay, surely? The media would ruin anything either of them attempted to do with their constant harping on about them being rival brothers.

I think he's a good guy and I'd like to see him have some say in the party, but the people who decide the influence that a politician has are the newspaper editors, and this makes good copy.

LilyBolero · 29/09/2010 10:20

Perhaps the only way NOT to hate Ed is to go. I am quite surprised at Ed standing tbh, and feel quite sorry for David.