David Miliband interview: get your question asked
The Vibe is interviewing David Miliband on the 2nd of September and we’re giving you the chance to contribute questions. Let us know what you want to ask in the comments by the 31st of August and we’ll put them to the potential future leader of the Labour party for you.
On September 2 The Vibe’s Jon Baldie will interview Labour leadership contender David Miliband in an exclusive for the site and we are inviting your questions to put to him.
The elder of the Miliband brothers, David was Tony Blair’s head of policy from 1994 – 2001 when he was elected MP for South Shields. Since then he served in a number of cabinet positions, most significant among which was the office of Foreign Secretary. Nicknamed Brains after the Thunderbirds character, David has previously been tipped as the Labour Party’s next leader but currently finds himself locked in a tight battle with younger brother Ed.
In keeping with our philosophy of engaging a new generation in politics, this is a unique opportunity for you to put questions directly to the man who could be your next prime minister. Would you like to ask him about where the party went wrong at the last general election; whether the leadership election is straining relations with his brother; why he thinks he’s the right man to lead the Labour Party; or his assessment of the coalition to date?
A varied selection will be chosen and submissions close Tuesday August 31. We look forward to hearing what you would like to know!
Simply add your question in the comments below by 31st of August and we will select the best ones to put to David Miliband.
Hi Jon,
To reiterate what was said on facebook, my suggestions are:
“Do you think Labour’s attitude to academic selection in secondary education should change?”
“Did you discuss with Gordon Brown and/or the Liberal Democrats becoming leader of the Labour Party so that a coalition deal could be struck?”
“Do you regret your remarks made on Radio 4 last year that under certain circumstances, terrorism could be justified? (It was on the Great Lives programme with Matthew Parris, discussing Joe Slovo)
“In 2008, the Foreign Office released a statement recognising Tibet as “part of the People’s Republic of China” It reversed Britain’s historic position. Do you think that should be changed?
I’d like the following questions asked:
“Will you pledge to return powers to raise motions and amendments to party policy at Conference to the Labour rank and file?”
“When was the last time you were on a picket supporting striking workers?”
“What is your view on Tony Blair hiding his income via offshore companies?”
“What were New Labour’s five biggest mistakes?”
“Do you think you’d have had the opportunities you did early in your career if your Dad hadn’t been Ralph Miliband?”
Is a banana still your favoured choice of fruit?
If Mr Milliband was the leader of the party during the election, what thing would he have done differently to Gordon Brown?
I would like to know what you think the Labour party should do about the plight of half our British state pensioners who have retired overseas, only to find their pensions frozen at the very first amount. Each year the value of their income drops, until it is worth practically nothing at all in very old age. The other half who live abroad receive their expected annually indexed pension because they happen to live in a different collection of countries. Do you agree that all pensioners should receive their fully indexed pensions, after paying into the National Insurance Fund while working in the UK, no matter where they live in retirement?
(this question was first posted on yoosk.com by dianelvin)
David,
When will you apologise for Labour’s economic crimes? These cuts are all Labour’s fault.
Labour’s 15 economic crimes
Aside from yourself, which of the Labour leadership candidates has the least ridiculous views on economics?
Your party reneged on its manifesto pledge in 2005 not to bring in a blanket smoking ban…will you now try and restore some integrity to your party by pledging to repeal the smoking ban and allow smokers to re-enter social society as well as bringing pubs back to life?
thanks for all of your suggestions for my interview next Thursday: keep them coming, and keep Tweeting!
Do you agree, David, with @KristoferKeane, who fits nicely into your demographic and appears to be a bit of a Milliband fan, that pubs staying in business is not good, that they increase antisocial behaviour and are a drain on police resources?
David,
You may remember the media scare earlier this year over the drug Methadrone in relation to the deaths of 18 year old Louis Wainwright and 19 year old Nicholas Smith and the then Labour government’s rush to criminalise Methadrone before a single autopsy had been completed. It was then later revealed that toxicology reports on the two teenagers found no traces of Methadrone in their blood. The complete lack of scientific evidence behind the decision to ban Methadrone only demonstrated that our drug laws do not deserve respect. If elected to be the leader of the Labour party would you seek to rethink our drug laws and shift the issue of drug use from a moral issue to a medical and social issue that is based on scientific evidence and not sensationalist newspaper reports?
Leave your response!