In one of his most pointed interventions since leaving office, Tony Blair warned Labour MPs earlier this year that the party could not afford to “go into the next election without the support of a single CEO from a big company” as it did in 2010. Ed Miliband, who appeared with Blair at a party fundraiser last week, seems to have been listening.
At Labour’s annual business reception tonight (in the rarefied surroundings of the Chartered Accountants’ Hall in the City of London), Miliband will announce a new drive to recruit business people as parliamentary candidates. The Future Candidates Programme will offer mentoring for those who want to go from business into politics. According to the party, applicants do not need to be Labour Party members but “should share Labour values” and “be willing to join if selected to take part in the programme”.
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