Hain has dig at shadow cabinet

One of Ed Miliband’s closest supporters has called on the Labour Party to up its game with a less than coded attack on members of the shadow cabinet who are failing to pull their wait.

One of Ed Miliband’s closest supporters has called on the Labour Party to up its game with a less than coded attack on members of the shadow cabinet who are failing to pull their wait.

The former Welsh secretary, Peter Hain, who endorsed Ed Miliband for leader in 2010 as the “fresh start Labour needs”, has used an article for Progress Online to argue that despite gains made in last week’s local elections, “if a general election was held tomorrow, Labour wouldn’t win a majority”.

He explains:

“Ed has made great strides over the last two years, we have re-energised our activists, rebuilt our base, reached out to disaffected Lib Dems – all crucial steps to victory in 2015.

“We’re halfway there, both in terms of time lapsed and progress made. I’m confident we’ve done enough to stop the Tories winning outright, and produce another hung parliament. But the truth is if we want a majority in 2015, we need to be performing better than we are now.”

Detailing the difficulties now being faced by both parties in the coalition, Hain calls for a much clearer sense of where Labour is going on the economy following what is widely accepted to have been a car crash of an interview by Ed Miliband on the World at One last week, in which he refused to outline that Labour’s plans would see borrowing increase.

Hain argues:

“We cannot afford to be equivocal about our economic policy. We need to be more upfront with the public about our intentions. Yes, we will borrow more in the short term in order to generate the growth that will reduce borrowing in the medium term. It makes sense to do so with interest rates so low. We will borrow to invest in new homes, in major infrastructure projects, refurbishing schools, creating employment. Schemes that will stimulate the economy. But we will nevertheless run a tight fiscal regime.

“The Tories are trying to cut their way out of the recession.  We need to be clear we would grow our way out of it, a less painful and ultimately more successful approach. We need to make this case with confidence and defend it robustly.”

Meanwhile, with rumours of a shadow cabinet reshuffle on the cards, Hain makes a less than subtle dig at a number of the team around Miliband:

“I’m confident Labour can win the economic argument if Ed has the support of a loyal team around him, it’s important that all members of the shadow cabinet play their full role in explaining and defending Labour’s policy and approach. Labour’s Treasury team need to get out on the stump now and work even harder. It shouldn’t just be left to Ed and Harriet to carry the heavy load, whether on the World at One, the Today Programme or anywhere else.

“Victory in 2015 is in our grasp, and we’ve made great strides toward it under Ed’s leadership so far.  But ‘one more heave’ won’t deliver a majority. We need to up our game.”

4 Responses to “Hain has dig at shadow cabinet”

  1. PW

    ‘pull their weight’ surely?

  2. Harry Barnes

    I’m clearly not the only person who’s paying attention.

  3. Harry Barnes

    I’m clearly not the only person who’s paying attention.

  4. Harry Barnes

    I’m clearly not the only person who’s paying attention.

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