Jim McGovern predicts Ed Miliband will return Labour to ‘traditional values'
Dundee Labour MP Jim McGovern has predicted the party will move towards the left following its election of Ed Miliband as leader.
Ed Miliband in Dundee during his leadership campaign.
- By Kieran Andrews
- Published in the Courier : 27.09.10
- Published online : 27.09.10 @ 09.44am
Mr McGovern said a shift back to "traditional values" would attract voters who deserted Labour because of its "mistakes" during the last election campaign.
Dundee West representative Mr McGovern publicly gave his backing to Ed Miliband's leadership campaign when it was in its infancy stages and told The Courier he was delighted at the victory.
He said, "From the day that Ed decided he was putting his name forward for the leadership I agreed to support him and I was one of the MPs who nominated Ed.
"My wife, Norma, and I travelled to Manchester on Saturday with another Dundee party member, Jenny Marra, who co-ordinated Ed's leadership campaign throughout Scotland.
"As I'm sure everyone can imagine, all three of us were delighted by the announcement and to be there to hear it was fantastic."
Although some see a shift to the left for Labour as a vote loser with the middle class, Mr McGovern insisted such a move would draw in more people than it would turn away.
However, he ruled out any possibility of applying for a role in the shadow cabinet even though his preferred candidate is now running the party.
"Ed's acceptance speech acknowledged mistakes that have been made by the New Labour project and I think we can now expect a return to traditional Labour values," he said.
"I think the electorate thought Labour was guilty of drifting and MPs were noticing that too, so we will now see the party returning to traditional values.
"With regards to the shadow cabinet places, my support wasn't for personal reward. I'm not in the frame for the shadow cabinet."
Ms Marra said, "I'm delighted that Ed has won the Labour leadership contest. He has a clear understanding about how people feel about the banking crisis, the deficit and the cuts coming from Westminster."
Meanwhile, Labour's Holyrood leader, Iain Gray, and former Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy both voiced their delight with the election of Ed Miliband.
Lothians MSP George Foulkes did not share the endorsement, expressing his "disappointment" in the outcome.
However, SNP MP Pete Wishart later said, "Scots didn't elect Cameron as PM, didn't vote for Clegg and now it seems they didn't back Ed either."
"Scotland now has three leaders it didn't vote for."
11.06am - 27.09.2010 Dundoniensis - Dundee, UK Report This
Another complete non-entity who has never done anything out of the Westminster village. No doubt he would be happy to squeeze the middle classes even more...to fund more half baked scehmes. A disaster...enjoy oblivion!
06.08pm - 28.09.2010 Jim McFarlane - Dundee, Scotland Report This
Ed Miliband is also in favour of massive cuts in public spending, same as the ConDems so that ordinary people have to pay for the bail out of the millionaires and private banks. <br /> The rich have 4 parties doing their bidding, about time working class people had a party of our own.
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