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John Rentoul
John Rentoul is chief political commentator for The Independent on Sunday, and visiting fellow at Queen Mary, University of London, where he teaches contemporary history. Previously he was chief leader writer for The Independent. He has written a biography of Tony Blair, whom he admired more at the end of his time in office than he did at the beginning.
You can contact John in the comments area or email him at j.rentoul@independent.co.uk
You can contact John in the comments area or email him at j.rentoul@independent.co.uk
One of the little noticed milestones of last week was Alan Milburn's announcement that he would be standing down as an MP at the next election, one of about 170 Labour MPs to have announced his intention to leave the Commons.
Of all the possible alternatives to Gordon Brown as Tony Blair's successor, I think we may look back on him as the best One That Got Away. It is a close-run thing, because at the time of Blair's departure John Reid was possibly the most impressive candidate. Alan Johnson, to whom this Blairite at least still looks for salvation, was a later contender. David Miliband would have been good. At different times, David Blunkett or Charles Clarke might have made excellent prime ministers but for mistakes they made.
But Milburn always had an ideological clarity that would have made him a fine prime minister at any point, but absolutely the one that was needed two years ago. As Martin Ivens comments in The Sunday Times today,
I admired him as the best Health Secretary of the Labour years (Reid was good too, but didn't serve for long), and thought he had the most adventurous ideas for accelerating public service reform. Above all, though, I was struck by his performance when he came to talk to students at Queen Mary, University of London. He spoke without notes, with total recall of his time in government and a way of explaining and defending his views that was unpatronising, brilliantly clear and hinted at his differences with Brown without bitterness.
Ultimately, though, he was let down by a Labour Party that had had enough of Blairism, and certainly had no appetite for an intensification of it. He lacked the easy charm and charisma that might have built a following among fellow MPs, and there was an edge of aggression that came through on television that failed to endear him to a wider audience.
A pity though, and a loss to the nation.
Of all the possible alternatives to Gordon Brown as Tony Blair's successor, I think we may look back on him as the best One That Got Away. It is a close-run thing, because at the time of Blair's departure John Reid was possibly the most impressive candidate. Alan Johnson, to whom this Blairite at least still looks for salvation, was a later contender. David Miliband would have been good. At different times, David Blunkett or Charles Clarke might have made excellent prime ministers but for mistakes they made.
But Milburn always had an ideological clarity that would have made him a fine prime minister at any point, but absolutely the one that was needed two years ago. As Martin Ivens comments in The Sunday Times today,
Give him only five blank pages of government stationery and you will get a political philosophy and an election fighting strategy rolled into one.
I admired him as the best Health Secretary of the Labour years (Reid was good too, but didn't serve for long), and thought he had the most adventurous ideas for accelerating public service reform. Above all, though, I was struck by his performance when he came to talk to students at Queen Mary, University of London. He spoke without notes, with total recall of his time in government and a way of explaining and defending his views that was unpatronising, brilliantly clear and hinted at his differences with Brown without bitterness.
Ultimately, though, he was let down by a Labour Party that had had enough of Blairism, and certainly had no appetite for an intensification of it. He lacked the easy charm and charisma that might have built a following among fellow MPs, and there was an edge of aggression that came through on television that failed to endear him to a wider audience.
A pity though, and a loss to the nation.
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