Powerful “vested interests” alarmed by the prospect of a Labour victory in the general election are to blame for the attacks on Ed Miliband and for his poor poll ratings, the shadow health secretary has said.
The recent media onslaught, which involved untrue reports about his own political intentions, showed that “something is afoot”, Andy Burnham said.
Speaking on the Today programme on BBC Radio 4, he added that Miliband’s poor poll ratings can be explained by the “powerful vested interests” in the energy, banking and media industries.
Burnham, who was speaking as Miliband prepared to launch a political fightback in a speech at London University, said the vested interests were trying to destabilise Labour but have instead galvanised the party.
The shadow health secretary told Today: “I see somebody whose leadership has been characterised by his willingness to take on vested interests – more so than any of the Labour leaders I have served under. They are the vested interests in energy, in banking and, yes, in the media too. That takes courage, it takes leadership to do that.
“No wonder some of those vested interests don’t want Ed Miliband to win and don’t want Labour to win. But he has put us in a position where, six months out as a first term opposition, we are in a position to win. There has been a campaign on in the last few days to destabilise and demoralise us. My message this morning is it just won’t work. In fact it’s going to galvanise us. We are united behind Ed and we are fighting to win an election that matters so much to so many people across the country.”
Burnham cited a front-page story in the Times last week which said he had discussed with the shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, what he would do if Miliband stood down. He described the report as “pure fiction”, adding: “When you face that kind if media onslaught you know that something is afoot don’t you.”
His remarks reflect the thinking in Miliband’s circle. They acknowledge that the Labour leader did face criticism from a small number of anonymous Labour MPs. But they believe that the media’s decision to focus on Miliband rather than Cameron, even though the prime minister has faced defections, shows the hand of shadowy forces.
Burnham said: “There is always in any party a small number of MPs who are grumbling. The prime minister is facing defections and byelections but I don’t see the same level of scrutiny being applied to him. In fact it is a more serious situation that he faces. So there will always be those voices. What we have seen in the past few days is a campaign to demoralise us and destabilise us. Honestly it won’t work.”
The shadow health secretary added that an Ipsos Mori poll in the London Evening Standard, which showed that Miliband had the worst rating of any party leader, also highlighted the influence of the so-called vested interests. He said: “People who don’t like the things Ed is doing - standing up for ordinary people against vested interests – will turn their fire on him. People can see that … We are bound to get those voices who don’t like what he is saying - the powerful vested interests. That is why we are more determined to fight against them.”
Burnham first spoke of how vested interests were seeking to undermine Miliband in June after the Guardian highlighted unease in the Labour party over his leadership.
