Miliband shows credentials to Labour supporters (From This Is Cheshire)

Labour leadership candidate David Miliband in Warrington

7:58am Wednesday 30th June 2010 in News

AMERICA and the banking bail out were high on the agenda for party activists who got the chance to grill Labour Party leader candidate David Miliband.

In a passionate debate about the future of the political party on Friday morning the Labour MP fielded questions from some disillusioned campaigners on what direction the party would take if it voted for him.

Brian Sullivan from Lymm was one of those who took him to task over some of the party’s decisions during its 13 years in government.

He said: “I’m at a crossroads whether I stay [in the Labour party]. Why should we pay for the bankers crisis? Why should I support the Labour Party when they siddle up with the US?”

Mr Miliband told him that the state bail out of some of the top banks would make money when the Government sold its shares in the banks it helped out.

He also added that in his previous role in government he had spoke out on the country’s own terms, in particular to try and tackle the Middle East peace process.

In an appeal to the audience who turned out at Holy Trinity Church on Sankey Street, Mr Miliband called on them to back the party as it moved forward.

He said: “This is about a party that we love, it brings people together. We need to build the party of the future.”

The event was organised by Warrington South parliamentary spokesman Nick Bent who is backing David Miliband in his quest to be elected.

And the former foreign secretary spoke about how he had been keen to visit the town on his campaign.

Mr Miliband added: “I particularly wanted to come to Warrington. You have a fantastic MP in Warrington North and you have a fantastic candidate in the south, when you elect Labour MPs for Warrington North but not south we end up with a Conservative government. When we can’t win seats in Warrington South we do not get government.

“The story of Warrington North and South is a story of the last 13 years of parliament.”

The audience also asked him about issues such as unity in the party, New Labour and Iraq.

The South Shields MP also addressed the reasons for party’s failure to cling on to power for a fourth term “We brought out the Labour vote more out of fear of the Tories than out of hope for us. We should be a party of hope not fear.

“The fears we had about a Conservative government are being born out. We have to be a fighting opposition but also an alternative government.”