Woolas backs Miliband for party leader

PHIL Woolas will be supporting favourite David Miliband in the race to become the next leader of the Labour party.

The former Foreign Secretary was the first to declare he will stand after Gordon Brown announced he was standing down earlier this week.

Oldham East and Saddleworth MP Mr Woolas said: “I am backing David Miliband because when I was working for him as local government minister I saw at close hand his intelligence, leadership and politeness and I think he has the qualities that can appeal to large parts of the UK.

“He knows Oldham and the issues we face. Having said that there are three or four other candidates all of who put David Cameron in the shadows.”

Mr Miliband was close to former Prime Minister Tony Blair and has been South Shields MP since 2001. He was a minister within a year, and in the Cabinet after another three.

He said: “I will stand as a candidate — I do so with humility in the face of the responsibility this post brings and passion for the causes and values that led me to join our party.”

He said Labour must be ready for government as “the responsibility of office may return sooner than people might think.”

The Liberal Democrat decision to join a Tory government was momentous, and gave Labour the chance to be “the great unifying force of all shades of centre and centre-left opinion”.

Oldham West and Royton MP Michael Meacher said it was too early to say who he would be supporting and would wait until all candidates had come forward before making his choice.

He added: “I made the point at the Parliamentary Labour Party meeting that we need a redirection of policy and we need to discuss this.

“We have neglected our core vote for too long, and a redirection of the party is undoubtedly needed. New Labour is dead. We need a new ideology. It is not the party I joined and I think lots of our votes have abandoned it.”

Former Home Secretary Alan Johnson has ruled himself out of the leadership contest and is backing Mr Miliband, while acting Labour leader Harriet Harman has also said she will not stand.

It is expected to be a family affair with David’s brother Ed Miliband expected to throw his hat in the ring, along with Ed Balls and left-wing backbencher Jon Cruddas.