Ralph Miliband's far reaching influence
In almost every leadership election of the two main parties since 1994 I've done a profile for Newsnight of the leading contender, or contenders.
Tonight I've done it rather differently, with .
The fascinating question is why two boys brought up committed left-wing socialists have turned out so differently.
One interesting observation comes from Robin Blackburn, one of the closest friends and colleagues of their late father, the Marxist Ralph Miliband.
Although Ralph would have been hugely proud of David and Ed, Blackburn reckons the true Milibandites in politics, the real followers of Ralph are not David or Ed, but overseas politicians such as the Brazilian Foreign Minister, Celso Amorim, who was one of Ralph's students and a regular visitor to the Miliband home in Primrose Hill.
And Celso is tipped for higher things still.
"The next president of Brazil may be a far more influential person than the next leader of the Labour Party," says Blackburn in an exchange we have been unable to fit in tonight.
"So don't count out Ralph Miliband," he told me. "He would have been proud of the two children he had, but he has MANY children, sons and daughters, but they are in Latin America, they're in South Africa, they're in India and Malaysia. That's where they are."
I'm Michael Crick, and I'm Newsnight's political editor. My guiding rule is that in any story there's usually something the politicians would prefer the world not to know. My job is to find that out. Follow me on
Comment number 1.
At 23rd Sep 2010, stevie wrote:Ralph, a devoted Marxist.....now, just where did you go wrong?
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Comment number 2.
At 23rd Sep 2010, Jericoa wrote:That is actually quite interesting and relevent Crick.
Good show old chap.
Maybe the Millibands are high level marksist 'sleepers' marksist manchurian candidates.... one covering each camp.. the blairite and the brownite, we get to see their true colours only when one of them gets into power.
I think that would be more believable than Ralph doing a better job educating his students in his beliefs than his own sons.
tis a funny old world
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Comment number 3.
At 24th Sep 2010, IPGABP1 wrote:Michael,
Any idea why Marx is the philosophers' philosopher by a mile?
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Comment number 4.
At 24th Sep 2010, tabblenabble 01 wrote:"2. At 8:57pm on 23 Sep 2010, Jericoa wrote:
That is actually quite interesting and relevent Crick.
Maybe the Millibands are high level marksist 'sleepers' marksist manchurian candidates.... one covering each camp.. the blairite and the brownite, we get to see their true colours only when one of them gets into power."
Many a word said in jest....You do understand that Trotsky and friends (largely Jewish) were Marxists as was Stalin (not Jewish, more a Catholic), but that Stalin purged the party of Trotskyites as capitalists beginning in the late 1920s? These groups of Marxists hated each other.
PS. It's Marx not Marks (although Marks was Jewish too, as was Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Burtons, Top Shop etc). It's also Miliband (that's relevant). Sorry to be correcting you, it's a personal 'deficit'. I just don't like anarchists, falling standards, predatory-lending, sedition, spin or spivs. I'm also no fan of Libertarians, Neocons or whatever else Trots plan to call themselves next season. Tea-Partyists? ;-)
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Comment number 5.
At 25th Sep 2010, Jericoa wrote:#4
Thats Ok TB I dont mind being corrected, I know I have an issue with spelling and grammer which I am at least partially blind to it would seem, it is not helped as I rarely have much time to post so a proof read and export to a spell checker etc are not luxuries I usually have.
I hope it is not too annoying and does not detract too much from the content, it is not deliberate.
Many a true word said in jest indeed, I did, I admit, have one eye open to their being some truth in it when I wrote it. Time will tell.
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Comment number 6.
At 25th Sep 2010, icecubed wrote:Well done on your tip for Ed last year
When you backed him, he was 5/1 against. If only I had taken your tip......
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