Charles Allen to oversee management and commercial review of party as Miliband moves to underline pro-business credentials
Charles Allen, the former chief executive of ITV and chairman of EMI, is to oversee a management and commercial review of the Labour party as Ed Miliband moves to underline his pro-business credentials.
The Labour leader said that Allen, a longstanding supporter, will bring huge experience to the rebuilding of the party.
Allen, who was recruited to EMI by financier Guy Hands, said: "I am delighted to be asked to conduct this review and to play my part in developing a strong and effective party, built on the foundations of strong grassroots support."
The appointment of Allen, who will work on a voluntary part-time basis at Labour headquarters, is the second significant appointment by Miliband in recent weeks after the arrival of Iain McNichol, the former GMB national policy officer, as general secretary.
McNichol said: "Charles is a longstanding supporter and friend of the Labour party, as well as an experienced and successful businessman. His expertise in both private and public sectors will help us to build the stronger organisation Ed and I want to see."
Aides of Miliband dismissed speculation that Allen had been drafted in as a counter balance to McNichol, whose appointment was seized on by the Tories as a sign of the Labour leader's reliance on the trade unions.
"Ed has wanted to bring Charles in for some time and would have appointed him regardless of who became general secretary," one source said.
"Ed has been talking to Charles since the spring. He is a big fan of his and believes Charles will bring a fresh pair of eyes. The party has done a good job over the past year but Ed wants to strengthen and enhance it."
Miliband's aides are irritated, but not surprised, that the Tories depicted the McNichol appointment as a sign of trade union power.
The Miliband camp were helped when Jessica Asato, a leading young Blairite, welcomed the appointment of McNichol in her blog on the Huffington Post.
Miliband will hope that the appointment of Allen will show he has a healthy respect for big business and that this is reciprocated.
Some supporters of Tony Blair have despaired of Miliband's failure to reach out to Labour-leaning business leaders, many of whom are declining to support the party.
But Miliband has won respect after he said that public sector workers were wrong to have gone on strike over pensions while negotiations were underway.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/aug/01/ed-miliband-labour-charles-allen
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