Events | 2009.10.01
Tory ties with EU far-right 'sickening'
\'Smear\' denounced as foreign secretary points to link with Latvian party
The foreign secretary, David Miliband, today made a politically sensitive attack on the Tories, saying the Conservative party\'s new alliances in Europe made him feel "sick", and meant that the party was run by "a bunch of schoolboys".
Much of Miliband\'s annual speech to the Labour conference was devoted to a critique of the Tories\' foreign policy and, in particular, their new relationships being forged in Europe. Miliband told delegates that the Tories were now in alliance in the European parliament with the For Fatherland and Freedom party, a Latvian party that participates in an annual event commemorating the Latvian Waffen SS.
The Tories immediately rushed out a response, accusing him of a "disgraceful smear" and "shoddy" politics beneath a foreign secretary.
Speaking on the last day of Labour\'s annual party conference, Miliband was almost as harsh on critics of his own party\'s leadership, suggesting that infighting over the next few months would do "the Tories\' dirty work for them".
The foreign secretary, who last year was accused of using the annual conference to position himself for the leadership of the party, struck a more loyal note for his last speech to activists before the general election. His tone suggested that the younger generation of cabinet ministers believe they will fight the election with Gordon Brown in charge.
The speech was his first to the party faithful since he admitted in June that he had considered resigning from the government at the same time as his friend and former colleague James Purnell. Shunning the hand gestures that lost him credibility at last year\'s conference, Miliband this time used uncompromising language to deny that Labour had "run out of steam", and attacked critics within the party.
He said: "When members of this party, even MPs, say nothing much has changed, that we could use a spell in opposition – tell them: don\'t do the Tories\' dirty work for them." As delegates on the conference floor shouted "shame on them", he said: "If we do not defend the record, no one will. Our work is not finished. That is what makes us agents of change in politics."
Instead he said delegates should leave the conference with a "song to sing and a hymn to hum", referring to the welter of policies announced by the prime minister in his conference speech on Tuesday and the party\'s pre-manifesto document, published this morning.
Miliband devoted a large amount of space, and unusually spiky language, to the Tories\' foreign policy, which he said would make the country a laughing stock in international affairs.
Echoing the Liberal Democrats\' attack last week, he told the audience about the Tories\' new group in the European party, including the controversial Latvian party. Miliband said that when Eric Pickles, the Tory chairman, was asked to comment on this in a recent television interview, he had reportedly replied that the Latvian SS veterans had only been "following orders" during the war.
Miliband said: "It makes me sick. And you know what makes me sicker? No one in the Tory party batted an eyelid. All you need for evil to triumph is for good men to remain silent. I tell you conference, we will never remain silent."
The shadow foreign secretary, William Hague, said the attacks were a "disgraceful smear". "He has failed to check his facts," Hague said. "He has insulted the Latvian government, most of whose member parties have attended commemorations of Latvia\'s war dead." Hague also called on Miliband to withdraw his suggestion that Pickles – who spent much of his career fighting racism in Bradford as a councillor there – was defending the Waffen SS.
Tory sources were bemused by Miliband\'s "schoolboy" jibe, pointing out that Hague is four years older than him, and Pickles is 13 years his senior.
Miliband also attacked Hague\'s critique of the EU, saying the release of diplomatic staff arrested in Iran, the launching of a naval force against piracy off Somalia, the sending of police and judges to keep the peace in Kosovo, as well as sanctions against Robert Mugabe and the fight against climate change, were all being helped by the UK\'s role in Europe.
Miliband said: "Mr Hague, all of them depended on Britain playing a leading role in a strong, powerful European Union that you oppose. When you say foreign policy has nothing to do with Europe, you show you have learnt nothing, know nothing, offer nothing, and every single government in Europe knows it."
For more information, please visit
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/[...]d-denounces-tory-farright-ties
