Nick Robinson had to resist urge to ‘roar with laughter’ when asked to become Labour spin-doctor for Ed Miliband – People – News – The Independent

Last Updated: May 31, 2015By

This is precisely what is wrong with the Labour Party today.

Nick Robinson is a well-known Conservative; there would be no point in hiring him unless Labour wanted to model itself more on the Conservative Party – and that would be a certain way to haemorrhage votes.

Until Labour’s top table members learn that people want a choice – not two parties that are the same – Labour will continue to lose.

BBC political editor Nick Robinson has revealed that he had to stop himself from roaring out loud with laughter when a senior Labour figure asked if the party could employ him as a spin doctor for Ed Miliband ahead of the general election.

He describes the moment when, alone in his office in Millbank in July last year, he was told down the phone that Labour “knows it has a problem and is determined to fix it,” that “the leader needs advice, and it has to come from someone with sufficient stature to ensure he’ll listen to it”.

“For the rest of the conversation I had to resist the urge to roar with laughter an inquire whether the caller had got the wrong number,” he wrote, and told the senior Labour figure that he was thankful for being considered but that he remained committed to journalism.

The broadcaster claims he still has “no idea” whether the approach was made with Miliband’s knowledge or “as is more likely, by someone freelancing to try to be helpful”.

Source: Nick Robinson had to resist urge to ‘roar with laughter’ when asked to become Labour spin-doctor for Ed Miliband – People – News – The Independent

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5 Comments

  1. Timro May 31, 2015 at 1:15 pm - Reply

    Ed Miliband also wanted James Purnell to become his Chief of Staff soon after Purnell had resigned in an attempt to destroy Gordon Brown. Purnell refused. But the fact Ed Miliband courted someone who had behaved so disloyally from the far right-wing of the Labour Party seemed astonishing to me at the time and still does.

    • Ian May 31, 2015 at 8:06 pm - Reply

      Purnell wants exterminating as violently as possible. Not even vermin.

  2. Steve Grant May 31, 2015 at 2:12 pm - Reply

    Most of those egotistic tv reporters are no friend of the Labour Party,they are ether money grubbers or spies for the Tory party……I don’t trust any of them…..

  3. Ian May 31, 2015 at 8:10 pm - Reply

    This, in a perverse way, makes sense from a Labour point of view. Far be it from me to acknowledge Miliband might have done something right but Nick Robinson will have loads of contacts and will know what stories to tell to specific people in the media. The only issue would be did Miliband want to give the appearance of being Toryish or did he actually want to be Toryish for real?

  4. wildswimmerpete June 1, 2015 at 11:03 am - Reply

    “Nick Robinson is a well-known Conservative” – he isn’t just a Tory, he’s a Tory activist. While the BBC luvvies are described as “lefties” the BBC high brass are strongly right-wing.

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