Tony Blair remakes the case for New Labour

Sep 2 2010 by Adrian Pearson, The Journal

Advice to Miliband over leadership

THE ex-Prime Minister first mentions the man who went on to be foreign secretary as he describes his close-knit team, admitting that Mr Miliband “did look about twelve at the time”.

Praise for Miliband is frequent throughout the book, culminating in Blair’s  revelation that he told the South Shields MP  in 2007 that he might beat Mr Brown for the leadership if he stood against him and turned the succession into a battle between Old and New Labour.

Mr Miliband - then environment secretary - approached him for advice shortly before his departure from office, but was “hesitant and, I felt, fundamentally uncertain as to whether he wanted it“, said Blair.

“He asked me if I thought he should stand and I said I couldn’t make that decision for him,” the former PM recalled.
”’What would happen if I did?’ he asked.

“’I think you might win, not obviously but very possibly,’ I replied.

“But David was unconvinced. Some then and later criticised him for being too cautious. 

“I didn’t blame him at all, but I did say he should be prepared in case the issue arose again.”