Friday, April 24, 2015
Another former Labour Minister has a pop at Miliband
Considering the baptism of fire he has experienced since he was elected leader, Ed Miliband has had quite a good campaign so far. However, as the polls indicate he has not managed to inspire voters enough to pull clear of the Tories, whilst many people still use him as a reason why they are not voting Labour.
Amongst that number, it seems that we must now add former Labour Trade Minister, Lord Jones of Birmingham who, the Telegraph reports, has told Mr. Miliband that he needs to stop “sneering” at wealth creators.
The paper says that in a highly critical open letter to the Labour leader, Lord Jones of Birmingham, who was a minister from 2007 to 2008 in Gordon Brown’s government, accused Mr Miliband of being “ignorant at worst and disinterested at best” about the effects of higher taxes:
Lord Jones, who has never joined either the Conservatives or Labour – said he had had toured the country meeting voters in recent weeks.
Citing the example of one West Midlands entrepreneur who had “worked his proverbial butt off”, Lord Jones asked why Mr Miliband’s polices were “attacking” him.
Lord Jones, who was director general of the CBI from 2000 to 2006, said: “I am confused Ed. Surely this is exactly what we want as a country? So why does that family feel you’re attacking them?
“Blaming them for being aspirational and wanting to do really well and earn a lot of money. You call them rich and never include them in your description of ‘hard-working families’.
“Not once have they heard you say that earning profit is a ‘good thing’. You can’t really suppress the sneer when you talk of putting up taxes for the likes of them.
“You appear ignorant at worst and disinterested at best about what they do or what is involved. And they feel it!”
Lord Jones said Mr Miliband appeared to have “no time” for the “one per cent of this country that pays 30 per cent of the tax” who he treated as “fat cats”.
He said: “You are creating division in hitherto harmonious workplaces; you are fuelling a sense of entitlement and you are killing aspiration. You have created an anti-business mood music where profit is a dirty word; where spending comes before earning.”
Mr. Miliband must be hoping that Lord Jones does not live in a marginal seat.
Amongst that number, it seems that we must now add former Labour Trade Minister, Lord Jones of Birmingham who, the Telegraph reports, has told Mr. Miliband that he needs to stop “sneering” at wealth creators.
The paper says that in a highly critical open letter to the Labour leader, Lord Jones of Birmingham, who was a minister from 2007 to 2008 in Gordon Brown’s government, accused Mr Miliband of being “ignorant at worst and disinterested at best” about the effects of higher taxes:
Lord Jones, who has never joined either the Conservatives or Labour – said he had had toured the country meeting voters in recent weeks.
Citing the example of one West Midlands entrepreneur who had “worked his proverbial butt off”, Lord Jones asked why Mr Miliband’s polices were “attacking” him.
Lord Jones, who was director general of the CBI from 2000 to 2006, said: “I am confused Ed. Surely this is exactly what we want as a country? So why does that family feel you’re attacking them?
“Blaming them for being aspirational and wanting to do really well and earn a lot of money. You call them rich and never include them in your description of ‘hard-working families’.
“Not once have they heard you say that earning profit is a ‘good thing’. You can’t really suppress the sneer when you talk of putting up taxes for the likes of them.
“You appear ignorant at worst and disinterested at best about what they do or what is involved. And they feel it!”
Lord Jones said Mr Miliband appeared to have “no time” for the “one per cent of this country that pays 30 per cent of the tax” who he treated as “fat cats”.
He said: “You are creating division in hitherto harmonious workplaces; you are fuelling a sense of entitlement and you are killing aspiration. You have created an anti-business mood music where profit is a dirty word; where spending comes before earning.”
Mr. Miliband must be hoping that Lord Jones does not live in a marginal seat.
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