David Miliband has spoken. “Labour needs real change” he says. And he’s the favoured front runner. He’s the one who blamed wild birds from bringing Avian ‘Flu to Bernard Matthews when it was the action of corporate enterprise linked to Hungary. Our David preferred to look after the interests of an iindustry which is a constant threat to public health. Bins of offal were found lying next to sheds of live birds. Avian ‘Flu hit the headlines scaring us to death over the possible outbreak of a pandemic resulting in thousands of deaths. A New Labour man through and through! The other person mentioned to take over is Jack “excuse me do you mind removing your clothes when you speak to me” Straw. We hear that Harriet also fancies her chances.
The real change needed is for someone to come along not wedded to the idea that market forces are the answer to everything. Don’t look at the Tories or Lib-Dems for that any more than New Labour. Most of those who believe fundamentally differently have moved out of Labour long since. Tony Benn said it was a mistake when Arthur Scargill and Tony Blair changed party: Scargill formed the Socialist Labour Party which I joined, and Blair New Labour. Brown won’t countenance a perceived “move backwards” to restore union power. As far as I can see none of the potential contenders would either with the possible exception of John McDonnell.

McDonnell makes the point that hose being lined upfor “change” are those who have gone along with the New Labour project, and as before with the Blair-Brown handover those who can or can’t stand will be rigorously controlled. We’ll get more of the same with yet another face. All that Miliband seems to arguing is for changes in presentation. We’ll get a return to a more light-weight media friendly kind of guy, more like Blair.
Blair himself has become more of media darling again now he is removed from the scene. Already we’ve forgotten why we desperately wanted him to go with Brown seeming to offer something different like a move away from imperialist war mongering. As far as I’m concerned Brown has become more like Blair without the smooth superficial persona. Brown always had a deeper grasp of the facts than Blair. We hear this from those who witnessed both in action on visits to the United States.