Miliband pities Clegg as dialogue opens
By politics.co.uk staff
Ed Miliband has secured agreement from Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg as the Labour leader makes friends with the enemy.
The pair met for a secret meeting last week and agreed to cooperate on issues where Labour and the Liberal Democrats agree – including Lords reform and party funding.
The deputy prime minister responded warily, the Independent reported. Mr Miliband said in an interview with the newspaper that he has no personal “animus” against Mr Clegg.
“I think he made the wrong political choice,” he said. “It is hard to see how he can become the voice of progressive politics, but let’s see.”
Labour’s new leader used his first monthly press conference to reach out to disaffected Lib Dems and is set to continue that approach in 2011.
“They are a bit lost. They don’t really know what to do but they don’t want to undermine Clegg and they are in a difficult position,” Mr Miliband added “Some will want to come over and some won’t.”
Mr Miliband revealed he is hoping to win over key left-leaning figures from the Gang of Four, which split from Labour in 1981 after the Limehouse Declaration.
David Owen has said he is considering voting Labour at the next general election following a discussion with Mr Miliband. A meeting with Shirley Williams is being scheduled.
“I think we now have a better chance than we have had for a generation of healing the split that cast a shadow over British politics for a long time,” Mr Miliband said.
“I feel that Labour politics now is much closer to the SDP’s politics then than where the Liberal Democrats are now.”
Mr Miliband’s meeting with Mr Clegg came as he finalised the terms under which Ed Balls accepted the shadow chancellor role.
The pair are seeking to avoid confrontation in their early months working together. Mr Miliband pledged to avoid a repeat of the tensions between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown which dominated the New Labour movement.
“We have seen that movie before and had front row seats,” Mr Miliband said.
“We are determined that there will be no sequel. It was a formative experience for both of us. It is something we are absolutely determined to avoid and we will avoid.”
