Guardian Fletter 4th June 2023: On the Milibands
We do indeed need the return of Miliband the elder (Letters, 1 June). Unfortunately, Ralph – who wrote the classic book on the history of the Labour party, Parliamentary Socialism – is no longer with us.
Keith Flett
Tottenham, London
A letter writer to The Guardian suggested that it was time for the return of David Miliband to British politics. While that might seem like a very centrist point, in fact it relates to his speech at the Hay Festival where he pointed out that many countries in the world were either neutral or opposed to European and NATO military campaigns in Ukraine. He argued that part of the reason why was the legacy of the Iraq War.
It was perhaps a surprising point and seemed to suggest that in reality he had no intention of returning to UK politics at the moment since such a view would hardly fit with Starmer’s Labour.
In reality though the Miliband we really need back is the father of David and Ed, Ralph. The author of Parliamentary Socialism and the State and Capitalist Society, as well as an Editor of the annual Socialist Register, he was an incisive analyst of and commentator on the left, capitalism and how to achieve progressive change. Sadly he is no longer with us.
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