Sunday, June 12, 2011

HACKgate: METgate : John Prescott "there is something rotten in our state"

John Prescott now, this very moment on twitter mad as hell ...Follow John on twitter as he explains.....

http://twitter.com/#!/johnprescott
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-13714047

Here is the offending article I have placed it here in full before they pull it.

Miliband faces leadership questions

Ed and David Miliband at last year's Labour conference in Manchester
Sunday, 12, Jun 2011 02:35
Ed Miliband faces serious questions about his leadership, with speculation over possible future challenges from Ed Balls and David Miliband.

Disquiet about his ability to take the fight to the coalition, despite a series of U-turns, has prompted the first widespread discussions about his future as leader of the opposition.

A book serialised by the Mail on Sunday, written by two prominent left-wing journalists, reveals Mr Miliband's elder brother, whom he narrowly beat in last year's leadership election, is "poised" to mount a challenge should the opportunity arise.

The former foreign secretary effectively accused Ed Miliband of lying over the so-called "act of fratricide". Ed Miliband has claimed he told his brother about his intention to run for the Labour leadership face-to-face. David Miliband claims he first heard of the news in a television report.

Several newspapers carried stories citing sources close to David Miliband indicating his willingness to challenge Ed Miliband. The Independent on Sunday said friends of the Blairite favourite believ David Miliband is "waiting for his brother to fail".

Serious concerns about Ed Miliband's performance are common among MPs, peers and Labour party donors, the Sunday Times reported.

Former home secretary David Blunkett said the next year would prove "vital in creating momentum and a sense of direction". Former deputy prime minister John Prescott said Mr Miliband had not got off to a "great start".

The newspaper quoted an anonymous Labour MP as suggesting shadow chancellor Ed Balls had a "cunning plan" to undermine the leader by making Mr Balls appear a team player.

"Balls will then be in pole position to replace Ed whenever the vacancy arises," the MP explained.

"Nobody's pretending there will be a vacancy any time soon. But Balls wants to be in place."

Tomorrow Mr Miliband will attempt to relaunch his leadership by making a speech on welfare reform, as legislation pushing through the coalition's plan to shake up the benefits system is debated in the Commons.

His remarks could inflame tensions within the party by criticising New Labour's record in government - a tactic which has alarmed many New Labour supporters.

"Labour, a party founded by hard-working people for hard-working people, was seen by some - however unfairly - as the party of those ripping off society," Mr Miliband is expected to say.

"A 'take what you can' culture which began in the 1980s was allowed to continue, unchecked, under the last government."

Those on the left of the Labour party could be alarmed when Mr Miliband goes further than Peter Mandelson, who famously remarked that he was "intensely relaxed" about people getting 'filthy rich'.

"I'm not only relaxed about them getting rich," Mr Miliband will add. "I applaud it."

A source close to Mr Miliband sought to downplay speculation about the Labour leader's future by dismissing it as "tittle-tattle".

"David and Ed talked before, during and after the leadership election," the source said. "There is no problem... the Labour party will be concentrating on meeting the challenges of Britain's future, not looking back to the past."
A spokesman for David Miliband said the former favourite to take over from Gordon Brown had "moved on".

"This is soap opera speculation about history when the public want politicians to be focusing on the future," he said.

Supporters of the younger Miliband brother were left pointing to his performance in the polls. 'Tweet4Labour' observed: "Ed Miliband has led Labour up 14% in the polls. If he did that every year until election same people would complain about one-party state."

A YouGov poll for the Sunday Times put Labour on 42%, five points ahead of the Conservatives on 37%. The Liberal Democrats attracted just nine per cent.
Over half of respondents said Mr Miliband was doing badly as Labour leader, however, compared to just 30% who thought he was doing well.

Two-thirds were unclear what he stands for. Forty-one per cent said they thought David Miliband would do a better job - and just six per cent thought he would do a worse one.