Meet the Milibands

By Justin Cohen - Thursday 22nd July 2010


An exclusive interview with the Miliband brothers who are fighting for the Labour leadership:

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How do you feel about contesting the Labour Party leadership with your brother?

David Miliband: It is certainly an unusual situation. I love and respect Ed as a brother and politics needs to take second place to that. I want this election to be a battle of ideas. I want it to be open, honest and a credit to our party.

Ed Miliband: It was one of the hardest decisions of my life. I love David and nothing that happens in this election will shake that love. Both of us will make sure of that.

Ed, did you consider not standing after David threw his hat into the ring?

EM: No. I knew he would stand when the time came and I had plenty of time to weigh up all the issues and come to the decision that I should stand in order that Labour Party members could have the widest possible choice.

• Have you ever gone head-to-head as rivals in the past?

DM: No. We are a very close-knit family.
EM: With four years separating us we were never quite in the same age group growing up. That distance meant we weren’t in a position to compete with each other.

EM: While no one can say that we live in a truly tolerant and post-racial society, I do not think that David and I standing will alter the progress we are making towards that goal. In fact it may improve it.

• How do you both feel about the possibility of becoming the country's first Jewish Prime Minister?

DM: Anyone would feel a sense of responsibility and I certainly derive strength from my roots. I know that the ties of community bind us together. My vision for the country is based on using the power of communities to support individuals.

EM: This country has, in the past, had a Prime Minister who came from a Jewish background: Benjamin Disraeli. But more important than a debate over whether I would be the first or the second, if elected Prime Minister, are the values I would bring to the job and my commitment to improving the lives of every British family.


• Would you speak up for Israel and on issues of concern to the British Jewish community if you became Labour leader?

DM: A stable Middle East has a secure Israel at its heart; this is non-negotiable. My trips to Israel show a deep yearning for peace. I think the vision of Israel living side by side with a Palestinian state is not only just but necessary. I have spent a good deal of time over the past three years as Foreign Secretary making the case for peace and building strong relations with the UK's Jewish communities. In fact I have done that during this campaign and it will of course continue.

EM: I will always stand up for Israel’s right to live in peace and security, and work towards a settlement in the Middle East in which a stable Palestinian state can co-exist next to an Israel that is secure in its borders. And I will always be open to issues that concern the British Jewish community, whether they concern issues of the treatment of Jews in Britain or issues to do with relations with Israel. I intend to lead a Labour Party that remains a true friend to Israel. But friendship is both about supporting your friend when they are treated unfairly or victimised, and speaking honestly when you feel they arent making the right decisions.

• What is your view of Israel's interception of the Gaza flotilla?

DM: I am afraid it was self-defeating. In fact I have spoken to many in the Jewish community and in Israel who feel the same way. It isolates Israel and strengthens its enemies. I welcome the announcement by the Israeli Government to move from a list of permitted goods, to a smaller list of banned goods. But the approach to Gaza is not delivering.

EM: I support Israel's right to act in self-defence of its borders, but think Israel’s interception of the flotilla was not the right thing to do. It led to deaths and injuries that I believe were avoidable. I support the United Nations Security Council's expression of concern about Israel's action as well as its call for an international investigation. Israel faces a security threat that cannot be met without international support. This incident has clearly made it harder for Israel to win this support around the world.

• If you had been in Government and British troops faced a similar situation faced by the Israelis aboard the Mavi Marmara, how would you have reacted?

DM: Democratic societies have obligations to themselves and others. I would seek to uphold them.

EM: We still don't know exactly what happened, or the exact situation faced by Israeli troops when they boarded. I believe the incident should be investigated through an independent inquiry. But the key question is whether the blockade is in Israel's national interest and working to promote Israel’s long-term security. I don’t believe it is.

• The Government has called for an end to the blockade of Gaza. What measures would you suggest that the Israelis impose instead, given the concerns about weapons and materials for weaponry getting to Gaza?

DM: We need to see implementation of the UN Resolution 1860, which addresses the flow of arms and goods into Gaza. More than anything, a return to substantial peace talks can show that violence, and weapons, are not the answer. We need to mend the loss of confidence on both sides.

EM: I welcome Israel's recent decision to re-open the crossings into Gaza for everyday goods. In place of a continuing blockade I think there should be a role for internationally-sponsored inspections of goods brought into Gaza at land crossings, as proposed by the European Union. Ultimately, the return of a functioning economy, jobs and economic opportunities for young Palestinians is the best way to counter the radicalism that threatens Israeli security and the lives of innocent Israeli citizens.

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