David Miliband Paid £25,000 for Speech at Luxury Middle East Resort
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: David Miliband was paid £25,000 to give a speech on relations between the West and the Muslim world, at a conference held in a “luxurious oasis” resort in the Middle East.

The Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort. Image: The Daily Telegraph
The defeated Labour leadership candidate also had his travel and five-star accommodation covered during the three-day trip, partly by the government of the United Arab Emirates, Parliamentary records show.

It suggests that he is following in the footsteps of his mentor, Tony Blair, by turning to the lucrative foreign lecture circuit after leaving frontline politics.

According to the latest Register of Members’ Financial Interests, Mr Miliband was also paid £2,500 to write a newspaper article defending his “dancing naked women” painting, which his wife had bought him for £800 as a birthday present.

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The conference - where “opinion-makers and business leaders” discussed “critical challenges for peace and security in the Middle East” - was held at the five-star Qasr Al Sarab resort in Abu Dhabi.

Its website describes it as a “luxurious oasis” in the “legendary Liwa Desert” where guests can “unwind in the unsurpassed comfort of private, palatial-style villas”.

In his speech, Mr Miliband spoke of the responsibility of Muslim countries to “honour international commitments to human rights, independent courts and press freedoms”, and the need for the European Union to admit Turkey as a member.

Read it all and comment >>> Martin Beckford | Friday, December 10, 2010

David Miliband Calls the Prime Minister a 'Loudmouth'
THE TELEGRAPH: David Miliband has criticised Prime Minister David Cameron, accusing him of being a ''loudmouth'' over his remarks about Pakistan's record on terrorism.

The former Foreign Secretary was speaking as the row continued over comments Mr Cameron made during his trip to India.

Mr Miliband said there was a ''big difference between straight talking and being a loudmouth'' as he claimed Mr Cameron had been ''going off script'' in recent public statements.

The Labour leadership contender said everyone had ''two ears and one mouth'' and it was important to use them ''in that proportion'' when it came to foreign policy.

Mr Cameron caused anger in Islamabad when he warned that Pakistan should not be allowed ''to promote the export of terror'' in the world.

But the Prime Minister denied his comments had overshadowed his trip and maintained that he had good relations with Pakistan, whose president will be visiting him at his country retreat, Chequers, next week.

''I don't think it's overshadowed anything,'' he said. ''I think it's important to speak frankly and clearly about these issues. I have always done that in the past and will do so in the future.'' >>> | Thursday, July 29, 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: David Cameron and Manmohan Singh call on Pakistan to tackle terrorism: Manmohan Singh, the Indian prime minister, and David Cameron have called on Pakistan to tackle terrorist groups operating from its territory. >>> | Thursday, July 29, 2010

Miliband Speaks Out

David Miliband Odds On To Succeed Brown

UK Politics Married with Russian Blood

RUSSIA TODAY: UK politics married with Russian blood: People in the UK have begun voting in one of the most tightly contested general election in decades. And as the election unfolds, it turns out there is Russian blood in British politics. >>> | Thursday, May 06, 2010

David Miliband ‘Bid to Be Labour Leader’
METRO: A secret campaign to replace Gordon Brown with David Miliband is reportedly being waged by Peter Mandelson and Tony Blair.

The bid is also thought to have the backing of home secretary Alan Johnson, defence secretary Bob Ainsworth and Olympics minister Tessa Jowell, meaning he could be installed as soon as Friday. >>> | Tuesday, May 04, 2010

THE TELEGRAPH – BLOG: Gordon Brown: I'll quit, but I won't cash in like Tony Blair >>> James Kirkup | Tuesday, May 04, 2010

LYNN NEWS: Labour man blasts his own party leader

NORTH-west Norfolk's Labour candidate has blasted Gordon Brown, calling him "the worst Prime Minister" Britain has ever had.

Speaking from his Leicester home, Manish Sood (38), told the Lynn News: "Immigration has gone up which is creating friction within communities. The country is getting bigger and messier.

"The role of ministers has gone bureaucratic and the action of ministers has gone downhill – it is corrupt.

"The loss of social values is the basic problem and this is not what the Labour Party is about.

"I believe Gordon Brown has been the worst Prime Minister we have had in this country.

"It is a disgrace and he owes an apology to the people and the Queen." Brown is 'worst PM ever' says Labour candidate >>> Sophie Wyllie | Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Oh, Christ! I Hope Not! David Miliband: 'We Can Win the Election'
THE TELEGRAPH: The Foreign Secretary tells Mary Riddell he believes the Tory party lacks purpose and that he doesn’t do sleepless nights.

By the look of him, “he does” a hell of a lot of “sleepless nights”, judging by the wrinkles on his face! Photograph: The Telegraph
In a sparsely-filled town hall, David Miliband is rallying the party faithful. Crawley in Sussex is not the normal beat of a globe-trotting Foreign Secretary, and the issues raised by activists are not his specialist topics.

With a majority of only 37, the most marginal Labour seat in Britain needs all the big guns it can muster. So Mr Miliband gamely tackles doorstep subjects ranging from immigration to free swimming for the over-sixties.

The meeting over, he turns to the subject of Lord Ashcroft, who hopes to swing this vulnerable constituency and many others to the Tories. Mr Miliband was on a radio show with William Hague when the shadow foreign secretary finally admitted that he had known for months about the arrangement under which the peer pays no British tax on his overseas earnings.

In the strongest condemnation by any government minister, Mr Miliband declares his opposite number unfit to serve as Foreign Secretary. “You can’t be an effective Foreign Secretary if you spend 10 years avoiding the hard questions,” he says. “Either Lord Ashcroft was lying to David Cameron and William Hague, or they were lying to themselves.” >>> Mary Riddell | Sunday, March 07, 2010

David Miliband Tells EU’s Foreign Chief How to Do Job He Rejected
TIMES ONLINE: The storm over Baroness Ashton of Upholland’s faltering start as Europe’s top diplomat intensified yesterday when she was sent a letter on how to do her job — from David Miliband, the man whom many favoured for the post.

Lady Ashton, who was plucked from relative obscurity to represent the EU, was warned by the Foreign Secretary that she risked losing a Brussels power struggle over the scope of her empire.

Mr Miliband, adopting a lecturing tone, expressed concern over infighting between European institutions, warned that the Commission may try to take control of large parts of the fledgeling foreign service and urged her to expand EU missions in capitals such as Delhi, Islamabad, Beijing and Brasilia. >>> David Charter, Brussels | Friday, March 05, 2010

David Miliband Defies the Prime Minister by Assuring Iceland Its £2.3bn Debt Repayment Vote Will Not Affect EU Bid
MAIL ONLINE: David Miliband has assured Iceland that its president's decision to veto the repayment of billions of pounds owed to Britain will not affect its bid to join the EU.

The comments by the Foreign Secretary directly contradict those of Gordon Brown who has threatened serious consequences if the money does not enter Treasury coffers.

On Tuesday, Iceland's president Olafur Ragnar Grimsson called a referendum on a law to return £2.3billion owed to Britain to cover the bail-out of more than 200,000 savers in the collapsed online bank Icesave.

Icelandic voters are expected to reject the scheme.

Today Iceland's foreign minister said he had been assured by Mr Miliband that a presidential rejection of the so-called Icesave bill would not torpedo Iceland's EU bid. >>> Daniel Martin | Friday, Januar 08, 2010

Les moments tendres de la politique! Sealed with a Loving Kiss!
THE TELEGRAPH: David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, greeted his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner in a decidedly Continental fashion on Tuesday in Brussels before an EU General Affairs and External Relations Council meeting.

David Miliband greets his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner. (Hillary, eat your heart out!) Photo: The Telegraph
What began with a firm handshake ended in a familiar kiss with the French foreign minister, as Guido Westerwelle, the German foreign affairs minister, looked on.

The affectionate greeting came just three days after Mr Miliband's body language suggested that the special relationship was continuing to flourish between the US and Britain. David Miliband greets Bernard Kouchner with a kiss >>> | Wednesday, December 09, 2009

STOP BLAIR!
Stop Blair! Petition against the nomination of Tony Blair as "President of the European Union" >>>
Will Tony Blair become the first President of Europe? : Discussions over exactly what it is that the EU wants from its first President of Europe will begin in earnest in Brussels on Thursday. >>> Andrew Pierce and Bruno Waterfield | Monday, October 26, 2009

THE GUARDIAN: Blair … … is reluctant to campaign openly because he fears experiencing the same fate as Guy Verhofstadt, the former prime minister of Belgium, who was humiliated when Blair vetoed him for the post of president of the European commission in 2004. "Tony will not put himself into a position where he is humiliated like Guy Verhofstadt," one friend said. >>> Nicholas Watt, chief political correspondent | Monday, October 26, 2009

MAIL ONLINE: EU backlash as David Miliband pushes President Boney Blair: A foreign backlash is growing against Tony Blair becoming Europe's first president.

Despite a brazen attempt by David Miliband to drum up support, leading political figures in France, Germany, Austria and Poland warned yesterday that the former prime minister was an unsuitable candidate. >>> Kirsty Walker | Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Ministers Back Blair as Best Man to Lead EU
David Miliband said that a Blair presidency would be 'very good for Britain as well as very good for Europe'. Photo: Times Online
TIMES ONLINE: Tony Blair should be made head of a stronger European Union that would be able to compete with China and the United States on the world stage, the Foreign Secretary said yesterday.

David Miliband said that the new EU president needed to be someone who “stopped the traffic” in Washington and Beijing and was guaranteed the highest access to world leaders.

With EU leaders preparing to start talking about Mr Blair’s prospects this week, his supporters have begun a sustained campaign to showcase the advantages he would bring to the role. The behind the scenes battle is becoming increasingly fraught, with some of the smaller EU countries combining in a “Stop Blair” effort. So far he is the only politician to be backed publicly for the role. >>> Philip Webster, Political Editor and David Charter in Brussels | Monday, October 26, 2009

Stop Blair! Petition against the nomination of Tony Blair as "President of the European Union" >>>

Immoral And Incompetent
THE SPECTATOR: The Spectator on the release of Abdelbasset Ali al-Megrahi

So who to believe? Saif al-Gaddafi, son of the Libyan dictator, has said that the release of Abdelbasset Ali al-Megrahi was ‘on the table’ during trade talks with Britain. Lord Mandelson, who was holidaying with the young prince of Tripoli in Corfu a few weeks ago, says such a suggestion is not just wrong but ‘quite offensive’. David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, insists it is a ‘slur’ even to suggest that the release of the only man convicted for the Lockerbie bombing would be raised.

As this squalid story has unfolded in the last few weeks, it is becoming all too clear that Megrahi was indeed ‘on the table’. The Libyans were told that Gordon Brown personally wished that Megrahi should not die in a Scottish prison. It is all too typical of the Prime Minister that he has not had the courage to share this view with the British public — we found out via an ambassador, a minister and a declassified document. And this is why the scandal is lasting so long: it offers wider insights into the nature of the government.

Officially, British policy is to encourage Libya to become a responsible actor on the world stage — this has been the case since Gaddafi’s decision six years ago to relinquish weapons of mass destruction that no one had known that he possessed. But the Megrahi affair demonstrates deep flaws in this strategy. If Libya was going to become a genuine partner in fighting terror it should not have been so keen for the return of a terrorist convicted on 270 counts of murder. Nor should the British government bend principles of foreign policy to suit the oil companies hungry for a slice of Libya’s offshore resources. >>> | Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Miliband under Fire for Saying Terrorism Can Be 'Justified' in Some Circumstances
MAIL ONLINE: The Foreign Office leapt to David Miliband's defence last night after he triggered outrage by saying terrorism is justified in some circumstances.

The Foreign Secretary also said in an interview that there were circumstances where terror was 'effective'.

The remarks were condemned by Tories, who said they risked giving succour to the Taliban as the number of UK soldiers killed in Afghanistan passed the 200 mark.

Mr Miliband was speaking on a BBC Radio 4 Great Lives programme about anti-apartheid activist Joe Slovo.

Mr Slovo, a friend of Mr Miliband's academic-father Ralph, was one of the leaders of the armed wing of the ANC which carried out a series of fatal bombings in South Africa which killed civilians.

Asked by presenter Matthew Parris whether such terrorism was ever justified, Mr Miliband said: 'Yes, there are circumstances in which it is justifiable, and yes, there are circumstances in which it is effective.'

He added: 'The importance for me is that the South African example proved something remarkable: the apartheid regime looked like a regime that would last for ever and it was blown down. It is hard to argue that, on its own, a political struggle would have delivered. >>> Daniel Martin | Monday, August 17, 2009

Adrian Hamilton: Miliband's Failure as Foreign Secretary
THE INDEPENDENT: Little wonder that foreign leaders see him as jejune while officals despair of him

Is David Miliband the most lightweight Foreign Secretary since the War? Admittedly there's strong competition for the post. From Jack Straw backwards, the history of British post-war politics has been peppered with foreign secretaries who've loved the travel and prancing about at summits but lacked the grasp of foreign circumstances and British interests to do an effective job.

Yet Miliband, in office for just over two years, has been particularly weak, even by the standards of Straw, in the extent to which he has managed to sound the wrong note at the wrong time. Whether it was making Russia's invasion of Georgia into the equivalent of the German invasion of Poland at the moment the EU was trying a more nuanced stance, issuing virtual fatwas against the Sudanese and Zimbabwean presidents to absolutely no effect whatsoever, or in adopting a continuously patronising tone towards our Continental allies, Miliband seems to have an innate ability to misjudge the situation and Britain's role in it.

Even in his intervention earlier this week on Afghanistan, Miliband got it wrong, declaring a willingness to talk to the "moderate Taliban" as if it was a new policy when it has been a US mantra for the last six months and going on to lecture the Afghan government as to how to treat their insurgents as if it was Britain's right to direct the country's internal politics. Little wonder that most foreign governments seem to regard him as jejune while some of his own officials despair of him. >>> Adrian Hamilton | Thursday, July 30, 22009

Miliband Condemns Iran's 'Imtimidation' [sic] Tactics
THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY: Foreign Secretary David Miliband condemned Iran's "intimidation" tactics today amid reports that eight British embassy staff have been arrested.

Mr Miliband insisted the action against the UK's "hard-working" local employees in Tehran was "quite unacceptable".

"This is harassment and intimidation of a kind which is completely unacceptable," he said.

Mr Miliband indicated that "strong action" would follow if the detentions did not stop.

The comments, at a meeting of foreign ministers in Corfu, came as the diplomatic spat between the UK and Iran intensified in the wake of contested elections.

Tehran has accused the UK and the US of seeking to interfere in its internal affairs after they criticised the heavy-handed reaction to protests by opposition supporters. >>> PA | Sunday, June 28, 2009

Miliband Accused of Being 'Waste of Space' as Brown Defends Iraq Hostage Handling
David Miliband: "a waste of space". Photo: TimesOnline
TIMES ONLINE: Gordon Brown insisted today that the Government had “left no stone unturned” in trying to secure the release of British hostages in Iraq, fending off criticism over its handling of the saga.

The bodies of two of the five captives were handed over to the Iraqi authorities this weekend, but the father of one of those still missing hit out at the way the Foreign and Commonwealth Office had dealt with the issue.

Graeme Moore, who is anxiously awaiting news of the fate of his son, Peter, an IT consultant, told GMTV: “They haven’t done anything. They should have been straight in directing negotiations right from the beginning.”

He also dismissed David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, as "a waste of space". >>> Philippe Naughton | Monday, June 22, 2009

Iran Expels BBC Correspondent: Official
REUTERS: TEHRAN - Iran has decided to expel the BBC's correspondent in Tehran over the broadcaster's coverage of this month's election, an Iranian official said on Sunday, and a semi-official news agency said Jon Leyne had 24 hours to leave.

The BBC confirmed Leyne, its permanent correspondent in Tehran, has been asked to leave, adding "The BBC office remains open."

An official at the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, which deals with foreign media, said Leyne had been told of the expulsion decision.

The official did not give details, but state radio cited the "distortion of news regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran and particularly news pertaining to the election."

The BBC in turn has accused the authorities of interfering with its broadcasts.

The semi-official Fars News Agency, which said Leyne must leave within 24 hours, also said he was accused of "dispatching fabricated news and reports" and "ignoring neutrality in news.."

He was also accused of "supporting rioters and trampling the Iranian nation's rights," Fars said. >>> Reporting by Hashem Kalantari and Fredrik Dahl; editing by Matthew Jones | Sunday, June 21, 2009

TIMES ONLINE: Iran and Britain in Diplomatic Stand-off as Protest Death Toll Rises

Britain and Iran moved towards a full-blown diplomatic crisis today as David Miliband rejected claims that the Government was stirring protests against the disputed re-election of president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Within hours of confirmation that the BBC correspondent Jon Leyn had been ordered to leave Tehran, Iran’s foreign minister rebuked Britain for raising questions about voting irregularities.

As the death toll from clashes between demonstrators and security forces continued to rise, Manouchehr Mottaki told diplomats: “Great Britain has plotted against the presidential election for more than two years. We witnessed an influx of people before the election. Elements linked to the British secret service were flying in in droves.”

His comments come after Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused “the evil British government” on Friday of interfering last weekend's election. >>> Jeremy Griffin | Sunday, June 21, 2009

David Miliband Calls Hillary Clinton to Voice Anger over Guantánamo Inmates' Transfer to Bermuda
THE TELEGRAPH: A high-level transatlantic row has broken out over the Obama administration's failure to consult Britain over the transfer of four Guantánamo Bay inmates to Bermuda.

Bermuda has agreed to take in four Guantanamo Bay detainees. Photo courtesy of The Telegraph
David Miliband has telephoned Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State, to express the government's disappointment at the deal.

British officials were informed the four Chinese Uighurs were heading to the United Kingdom's oldest dependency only as they boarded their plane for Bermuda on Wednesday night.

A British diplomat said: "The Foreign Secretary registered his surprise. It was a regrettable mistake. Bermuda, the UK and the US now need to work together to fix it and make sure it doesn't happen again."

A senior State Department official said this diplomatic understatement masked a real anger over the Obama administration's oversight among British officials, telling ABC News: "They're pissed". >>> By Toby Harnden in Washington | Friday, June 12, 2009

Iraq War, the Crusades and the Damage to Britain, by David Miliband
David Miliband says the US-led invasion of Iraq has left a feeling of bitterness and resentment towards the West in the Muslim world. Photo courtesy of MailOnline
MAIL Online: David Miliband last night offered the most senior Government denouncement so far of the Iraq war.

In a strikingly self-critical speech, the Foreign Secretary admitted the invasion had damaged Britain's standing by leaving a legacy of 'bitterness, distrust and resentment' across the Muslim world.

Although he did not apologise for supporting the invasion of Iraq, he said that for centuries relations between Europe and the Islamic world had been characterised by 'conquest, conflict, and colonialism'.

Speaking to the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, he said: 'Decisions taken many years ago in King Charles Street [the Foreign Office] are still felt on the landscape of the Middle East and South Asia.

'Ruined crusader castles remain as poignant monuments to the religious violence of the Middle Ages. Lines drawn on maps by colonial powers were succeeded, amongst other things, by the failure -it has to be said not just ours - to establish two states in Palestine.

'More recently, the invasion of Iraq, and its aftermath, aroused a sense of bitterness, distrust and resentment. When people hear about Britain, too often they think of these things.'

Mr Miliband stressed the importance of the UK seeking out common ground with Islamic countries, and called for 'more political activism and more diplomatic engagement' to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. >>> By Ian Drury | Friday, May 22, 2009