McCartney defends his record
Labour’s party chairman has defended his record amid speculation he is destined for the chop in the forthcoming Cabinet reshuffle.
Ian McCartney has been criticised for the party’s poor showing in local and European elections in June.
At the last byelection, Labour lost the safe seat of Leicester South to the Liberal Democrats.
His remarks come in the wake of Monday’s shock resignation of Work and Pensions Secretary Andrew Smith.
With ministers repositioning themselves ahead of the reshuffle and rumours of Alan Milburn’s return to the cabinet, Mr McCartney threw the gauntlet down to his “anonymous” critics to come out and openly judge his performance.
The Scot has been in the job for the last 15 months.
“As I travel the country, one of the most common complaints of party members is that they feel their hard work on the doorstep is often undermined by ill-discipline and briefing within the Westminster village,” he told The Guardian newspaper.
“The most difficult part and maybe the part which was unacceptable was when people brief against you on a personal basis.”
Defending his record as a Minister, he said he had made advances in pension reform, the minimum wage and reforming the party, “all big, complex tasks”.
“You’d never achieve them if you weren’t a good communicator and hadn’t the capacity intellectually and organisationally, to lead a team.
“I have a long-term, sustained personal relationship with a lot of key people in the party, including Tony Blair. And when I read that Tony Blair is teed off with Ian McCartney I have a little wry smile about it.”
Speaking at his monthly press conference at 10 Downing Street on Tuesday, Mr Blair said decisions on whom would be appointed to the cabinet were made “on the basis of ability”.
Rejecting suggestions of dissension in Labour ranks, the prime minister said his government was “the most ideologically united for a very long time”.
