Miliband could save the day says former MEP

The South Shields Labour Party chairman says David Miliband would be a 'brilliant leader'
Alan Donnelly, chair of the South Shields Labour Party and former MEP.Alan Donnelly, chair of the South Shields Labour Party and former MEP.
Alan Donnelly, chair of the South Shields Labour Party and former MEP.

Alan Donnelly said: “Miliband would be a brilliant leader. I am sad he didn’t make it the last time”.

Mr Donnelly believes the former South Shields MP would be a first class choice to lead the Labour should Jeremy Corbyn by ousted by the current coup taking place within the party’s Westminster ranks

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Mr Donnelly thinks the former foreign secretary, who is currently president and CEO for the International Rescue Committee in New York, could be the one to save Labour current ‘dire situation’ which began to unravel after shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn, was sacked on Sunday,

Mr Donnelly, who was a Member of European Parliament from 1989 to 2000, said: “I think David would be a brilliant leader and very good at it. I was very sad that he didn’t take up the role when Tony Blair stood down.

“That was largely because of his brother Ed, who then changed the rules and that’s the situation we have now with Corbyn.

“David have done a lot of good in New York, and I’ve met up with him there.

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“But we have to remember he does have a young family so he needs to do what’s best for him.”

Mr Donnelly believes Mr Corbyn, who has so far lost two thirds of his shadow cabinet, should do the right thing and resign.

He also thinks there’s a good chance that there will be another General Election at the end of October.

Mr Donnelly said: “When I was an MEP, if people said they no longer had confidence in you, then the correct thing to do was to stand down.

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“What we have to remember is that the whole point of the Labour Party is to get into Government so it can influence decision making and help our most vulnerable members of society.

“It can’t do that if the party isn’t united and not everyone has the confidence in their leader, then it’s no good.

“That’s the case we have at the moment, Jeremy is a very nice man, but if not everyone is backing him then there’s going to be problems.

“I think there will be a general election at the end of October. If that is the case then we have to be in a position to offer serious proposals to voters and we have to be united.”

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When it comes to the next potential Labour leaders Mr Donnelly hopes either current deputy leader Tom Watson, or Angela Eagle, who was shadow business secretary until she resigned on Monday, will throw their hats into the ring.

He added: “If David wouldn’t entertain the idea, then I think Tom Watson or Angela Eagle would make very good leaders. Angela especially as she is a highly educated lady and from a working class background.”