Meacher challenges Brown 'coronation'

Thursday, 22 February 2007 12:00 AM

Michael Meacher has confirmed that he will stand against Gordon Brown for the Labour leadership, calling for a "contest not a coronation".

Announcing his candidacy, the former environment minister and veteran left wing MP said a leadership contest would confer democratic legitimacy to the new prime minister, adding that Labour supporters expect a choice, needed to reflect the differences of opinion within the party.

A Britain run by Mr Meacher would declare war on climate change, while moving away from the US's foreign policy, the Oldham MP said today.

Mr Meacher, who was first elected for Oldham West in 1970, pledged that he would not join the US in any military action against Iran. Should Washington attack Tehran, he pledged: "I would not put at risk a single British soldier or RAF pilot in support of such a crazed venture."

He called for a more multilateral approach to foreign policy, stating that we would "use our political clout to initiate a wider international peace conference bringing together all the relevant actors for a joint settlement on the Middle East."

It is "not sustainable to continue as America's glove puppet", he warned, setting out a foreign policy that would be based on British interests. Mr Meacher argued for a symbiotic relationship between energy and foreign policies, arguing that it is "not sustainable, moral or legal", to fight wars to gain control of a dwindling Middle Eastern oil supply.

Instead, the longstanding parliamentarian would lead the country towards a sustainable energy policy, with an emphasis on renewable energy sources and a "massive programme" to improve energy efficiency.

Declaring that "globally we are at war over climate change", Mr Meacher called for "profound change in every aspect of government and our way of life". Under his leadership, absolute priority would be given to tackling climate change.

"We are sauntering when we should be racing", he warned.

Although his recent residency on the backbenches has seen him critical of much of the government's policy, including its record on the environment, foreign policy and Trident, he paid tribute to the national minimum wage as one of Labour's best achievements". If selected he pledged to increase it to £6 an hour, rising soon after to £7.

More must be done to tackle poverty, Mr Meacher maintained, while the recent Unicef report criticising childhood in Britain "shows how urgent it is to reverse the growing rich poor divide".

With an eye to the gun crime summit taking place in Downing Street today, Mr Meacher said that less poverty led to less crime, as well as stronger community life, better health, longer life expectancy, lower teenage birthrates and more social mobility and higher educational attainment - "all issues on which we need significant improvement" he added.

Once described as Tony Benn's "vicar on earth", Mr Meacher has long been associated with the left wing of the Labour party, although he appeared to mellow under New Labour.

Following years of experience in the shadow cabinet, Tony Blair appointed him environment minister in 1997 before he was sacked in 2003.

Left wing backbencher John McDonnell, who announced his intention to run some months ago, confirmed that he will remain in the race, paving the way for a three-way leadership contest.

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