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Ed Miliband Shrugs Off Criticism Of His Leadership, Implication He Will Become A 'Drag' On Labour (AUDIO)

Ed Miliband

The Huffington Post UK   Dina Rickman First Posted: 10/01/12 09:21 GMT Updated: 10/01/12 09:28 GMT

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Ed Miliband shrugged of suggestions superficial issues might inhibit his leadership of the Labour party on Tuesday morning.

During a New Year's interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme he was asked by John Humphrys about comments the late Robin Cook made about being "too ugly" to run for Labour leader.

Humphrys asked: " I can remember talking to Robin Cook, when John Smith died. I can remember talking privately to Robin Cook. Now that he's sadly died, of course. Everybody accepted that he was a brilliant politician. Brilliant mind, brilliant orator, could have been a great leader. I asked him if he was going to go for it and he said 'no and I said 'why not'. He said 'they wouldn't have me, I'm too ugly.'..

"I am not suggesting for a moment that you, Ed Miliband, are too ugly... What I am suggesting to you is that there are some qualities needed in a leader that you may decide at some point you don't have and that you're become a bit of a drag on the party."

Miliband claimed criticism of his leadership amounted to "noises off", adding: "Don't declare the result of the race when it is not yet half- run. I have a very strong inner belief that I will win the race."

He insisted that standing for the Labour leadership, against his elder brother David, had been "difficult"

And Miliband said he did not agree Labour peer Lord Glasman's claims Labour's economic policy was not working. "I don't agree with him when he says it is all crap."

Listen to the full interview here

New Year interview: Ed Miliband (mp3)

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Ed Miliband shrugged of suggestions superficial issues might inhibit his leadership of the Labour party on Tuesday morning. During a New Year's interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme he was ask...
Ed Miliband shrugged of suggestions superficial issues might inhibit his leadership of the Labour party on Tuesday morning. During a New Year's interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme he was ask...
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SecularAdvocate
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1018 Fans
 
10:49 AM on 01/12/2012
The Labour party will always be just a lighting rod to channel the awesome power of proletarian dissent and keep the ivory towers un-singed.

The joke of the Labour party:

The workers are assembled, their trusted and articulate representative upon the stage. He's a bit more articulate, slightly better educated and slightly better dressed than the majority of the crowd.

"Brothers" he says: "As a result of our heroic efforts in withdrawing our labour, I have organised a new deal of an extra shilling a week!"

General cheering and approval.

Someone at the back shouts out "We want two shillings!"

A bigger cheer - the representative quietens the crowd.

"I think if we can hold out another week, that might indeed be a possibility! Are you with me brothers!??"

Further cheering and general hurrahs!

Then another voice:

"We don't want a shilling. We don't want two shillings. We want a new social order where all work and effort is respected and properly rewarded! We want the wealth we create by our labour fairly distributed and used! We want a fair and equal education system for the next generation! And we want real democracy!"

A great cheer goes up, and a roar of approval.

The representative calms the crowd.

"now then, brothers" he chides...

"You know the bosses will never agree to that."
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lilizela
3 Fans
05:08 PM on 01/10/2012
After Blair won the election in '97, the Tories had a succession of ineffective leaders (Hague, IDS, Michael Howard). Labour will probably follow the same pattern- Ed M is only the first in the queue. Eventually, they might find a decent leader or (more likely) the Tories will eventually become so unpopular that the electorate will vote for anyone with a red rosette just to get rid of Super Dave.
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majdf18148
I have nothing to declare but my curiosity
248 Fans
01:12 PM on 01/10/2012
He has the personality of a marine cucumber. There is a fish on the Great Barrier Reef that specialises in crawling up the back end of the sea cucumber to seek sanctuary. And that is the story with Ed Milliband. If the rest of the Labour Party stopped doing to Ed Milliband what that fish does to the sea cucumber and found a Leader with a bit of dynamism, some leadership qualities, someone who can inspire and take the party forward it could become the tour-de-force it once was. We need a strong opposition to challenge the Coalition, to hold it to account, to provide viable alternatives that represent the best interests of the country. All we currently get are shouts of derision from the opposition benches that the Coalition's plans are flawed; but NOTHING to offer up as an alternative. Ed Milliband is there as the sacrificial lamb, put in office during the early part of the new Govt's tenure of office when it is of least importance, from the opposition party's perspective, to impress the electorate. He will be gone long before the next election looms. The Labour party desperately needs to put in place a shadow cabinet untainted by the Brown dynasty. A cohort of new, fresh minded politicians who are astute enough to recognise the country's fragile financial state and come up with realisable, alternative plans to lead us out of penury. Mr Milliband I'm afraid you are toast at the first opportune moment.
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Kris5
34 Fans
01:03 PM on 01/10/2012
Britain continues to be a very wealthy country. The problem is that a very small minority of people own most of the wealth in Britain, whilst a majority struggle to survive on low wages and expensive services and products. I hope one day some Politician will tackle the huge inequalities and exploitation in Britain. Whilst the rich and famous live a life of luxury, over 2,000 elderly people in Britain died last year as a direct result of living in cold houses and people die unecessarioly on NHS waiting lists in Britain. It is shameful. People need to be rewarded for working hard. But lots of people work hard for a pittance of a wage. Small businesses cannot afford to pay higher wages, therefore the solution is for shareholders to reduce their profits and make products and services cheaper and also for the tax system to be overhauled. How many mansions and posh cars do the rich need? Is there any need for them to have many millions of pounds in the bank whilst pensioners cannot afford to heat their homes? Isn't that just greed?
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Catfordbert
10 Fans
12:18 PM on 01/10/2012
if scotland gets independence we will not have to worry about Labour or lib/dem.
Cameron will not need partners, Crafty ?
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anne31
108 Fans
12:08 PM on 01/10/2012
its a shame that this man has not got the personality to become prime minster.
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Roger47
41 Fans
12:15 PM on 01/10/2012
He also doesn't have the intelligence. Unless he's replaced before the next election Labour will lose again.
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honesttaxpayer
51 Fans
11:15 AM on 01/10/2012
Ed a few suggestions
Accept and admit that the market friendly policies of Blair / Brown were a disaster!
Dump the New Labour garbage and its proponents.
Spell out your ideas in a clear statement of what you would do, when and how it could be funded. Forget about the crooks in the City they are a busted flush and given the correct policies could be reduced to a sideline in the UK economy where they should be.
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Bernie-H
1 Fans
10:48 AM on 01/10/2012
I'm surprised that the Labour party leader has the audacity to put his head over parapet considering the mess in which his party left this country after their 13 years of mis-rule!
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anne31
108 Fans
12:09 PM on 01/10/2012
how true. and they got away with stealing a lot of money.
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BuxtonBlueCat
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10:43 AM on 01/10/2012
'I have a very strong inner belief that I will win the race."' Keep dreaming Ed - your appearance is fine - it's your policies that are so inane/weak. Bring Alan Johnson MP Hull back; he is the only credible and honest politician in the labour party at the moment. Resign Ed - you are a real drag on the labour party - you never come across as sincere but superficially repeating a mantra. We need someone with fire in their belly, truth on their tongues and the ability to see where/how this country can be great again. Left to the current labour party, it is a definite no no for the majority of this country. We want a strong party to trust - not wafflers!
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redsquaddie
27 Fans
11:21 AM on 01/10/2012
Honest and Politician I never heard that since the 1950s and then it was a lie Red xxx
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Raldor
33 Fans
10:42 AM on 01/10/2012
Sorry Ed but if you do have policies, you might get somewhere if you let everyone else know what they are.

If they involve the economics of Mr Balls then I'm afraid you are going nowhere. It is the policy of spend spend spend that has been the mantra of every Labour government and left this country in a mess every time.

Only by learning some basic economics and spending only what the country can afford will the Labour party be able to command the respect of the country's electorate.
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anne31
108 Fans
12:12 PM on 01/10/2012
they have lined their own pockets. with our money. corrupt is not a strong enough word.
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1990enzo
10 Fans
10:40 AM on 01/10/2012
I was listening to this on the Beeb this morning, and thought: "hang on; Milliband has decided to operate within the Conservative's terms of reference". WHAT?! Instead of talking about austerity in 2015, he should be talking about a real overhaul of the tax system, including at the very least a Financial Transaction Tax that would curb the rampant bad behaviour (speculation and profiteering/piracy) at the top.
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Ohffs
16 Fans
11:33 AM on 01/10/2012
Kind of like the tax the Eu wants to impose at the moment you mean?? Wonder what we in the UK will do without the billions paid in tax by these people and how London will fill the office space and where the jobs will come from once such a system is implemented and the Financial Service industry move to another country to escape this tax.....
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