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No apologies for redistribution, says Darling

darlingLabour should talk up its record on redistribution, Alistair Darling tells the Fabian Review. He admitted they had shied away from this in the past but indicated measures on fairness would be a big part of the election campaign. “There’s been far more redistribution than people realise,” he told Mary Riddell.

 

“In the first two or three years of government, you dare not mention the word, but in any civilized society you have to have the right balance. Yes, we’ve got a long way to go, but we’ve made big changes. People of lower income are getting a far better start than they would otherwise. That’s something Labour should be very proud of. They should make no apologies for it.”

  Elsewhere he reveals the source of his disagreements with his Conservative Shadow, George Osborne: “My criticism of George Osborne is not his age. That’s got nothing to do with it. It’s just that he consistently gets things wrong. That’s fine when you’re in opposition. It’s a calamity when you’re in government.”

 

Mary Riddell’s interview will be published in the January 2010 issue of the Fabian Review, published Monday 4 January 2010. You can read an extract from this interview in The Daily Telegraph and also read their coverage of the Chancellor’s comments on ID cards.

For more information about the magazine, visit the Fabian Review page.
 
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