Memo to Miliband: resign now to win the leadership

by Richard Reeves

I hope Ed Miliband spent the weekend polishing his resignation speech. He should not vote for a third runway at Heathrow, especially since he has allowed it to be known that he vehemently opposes it. This would also require him to resign from his ministerial post. But a carefully calibrated resignation would also position him perfectly for a post--Brown leadership bid. This is a rare opportunity in politics: to do the right thing, both morally and politically. Ed Miliband is a genuine green. Now is the time to prove it.

Of course, the resignation has to be delivered graciously. John Denham's thoughtful departure from the Government over the Iraq War is a good model. Ed should say something like. "I cannot in good conscience support this measure to build another runway. I am not sure that if I do so I can be certain of being able to look my grandchildren in the eye. I support the Prime Minister, but I cannot support this plan. If we are to tackle the threat of climate catastrophe, our ideas of progress need to be re-examined. Building another runway to take another 200,000 flights amounts to a blind refusal to accept the consequences of climate change."

Labour MPs are being, in the words of one, "quadruple-line whipped" into the lobbies order to pass this bill tomorrow. Of course, the technical arguments are complex. And it may well be that in the broader scheme of things, a runway is not - in carbon terms - the biggest deal. There may be some economic downsides to a decision not to proceed. But the politics are brutally simple, and the symbolism of the decision is gigantic. This will be the most fought-over, highest-profile battle between the environmentalists and the economists.

There is a generational dimension here, too: younger politicians understand and feel the climate change issue in a way the baby boomers simply do not. It is not a coincidence that the younger leaders, Cameron and Clegg, will lead the parties into the opposing lobbies. Brown is forcing a whole generation of Labour ministers onto the wrong side of the argument over the biggest issue their generation will face. Make no mistake: those Generation-X ministers who vote for the runway will be recanting and apologising within a few years. But if one of them is brave enough to act now, they will immediately put themselves at the head of the pack for the leadership contest. Go on, Ed. Life's too short. Resign - and you might reign.

George Selmer

Without wanting to sound tired, weary and cynical beyond my years (and I'm younger than Ed Milliband) - reign over what? I have to say that this column by George Monbiot in the Guardian this week - http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=46360679197&h=VeEpP&u=9EUPc - spoke to my worst fear, which is that, unlike the dog days of the Major regime, this time we genuinely have nowhere left to turn and nothing to give us any hope of change for the better. This has only been cast into sharper relief for me in recent days with the inauguration of Barack Obama and the real sense he has brought with him that a new kind of politics is possible. I don't see that on this side of the Atlantic - unless I'm missing something, I don't see that in Ed Mlliband.

max nathan

Very good piece. Leaving the issues aside for a moment, the politics here are clearly inspired by the great man himself. See below (swearing removed):  Malcolm Tucker: It IS possible to have a good resignation, you know.Hugh Abbott: A good resignation"? Oh, I'm looking forward to how you're going to sell this to me ... Tucker:  Look, people really like it when you go just a bit early! You know, steely jawed, faraway look in your eyes!  ... you surprise them! "Blimey, he's gone! I didn't expect that! Resigned! You don't see THAT much anymore! Old school! Respect! I rather liked the guy ... "  How about that, ah? What a way to go!

New Comment