UK Election 2015: Labour slams Obama after endorsing David Cameron,UK election 2015 updates, United Kingdom General Election updates, UK political News 2014 2015
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- Last Updated: Thursday, 22 January 2015 21:30
UK Election 2015: Labour slams Obama after endorsing David Cameron
Ed Miliband's deputy has lashed out at Barack Obama after he praised David Cameron’s economic stewardship.
The President of the United States “does not really know what is going on in this country”, Harriet Harman said.
Mr Cameron received a significant pre-election boost on Friday after Mr Obama said Britain’s economic recovery is evidence he “must be doing something right”.
He went on to describe Mr Cameron, who enjoys significantly higher personal ratings than Mr Miliband, as a “great friend” and one of his “closest and most trusted partners in the world”.
In an unusual swipe at the leader of Britain’s closest ally, Ms Harman, the Labour deputy leader, told LBC Radio: “If he was saying David Cameron has run the economy in a good way, the impact it will have is most people will feel that Obama does not really know what is going on in this country, and doesn’t know that although the figures might show there has been an economic recovery, most people don’t feel better off.
“For Obama to say David Cameron is right and everything is fine, I think people will just disagree with President Obama, and think of their own experience. People know their pay have stagnated, and costs have gone up.
“Whatever Cameron or Obama say, the Tories have not run the economy well, and people have lost out, unless you are the very top and have had an absolute bonanza.”
Labour activists have been infuriated and dismayed at Mr Obama’s relationship with David Cameron, with many travelling across the Atlantic to volunteer on his two election campaigns.
Many regarded him as Ed Miliband’s ideological ally, after winning on a platform of relieving “squeezed” families and taking tougher measures against the wealthy and large corporations.
Mr Obama’s election campaign manager, Jim Messina, now works for the Tories, while another strategist, David Axelrod, works for the Labour Party.
Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor, is said to have been furious that Mr Obama wrote a joint newspaper article with Mr Cameron so close to an election, and regards the President’s warm endorsement as “extraordinary”.
During a White House press conference, Mr Obama made clear the closeness of their relationship by acknowledging he refers to the Prime Minister as “bro”.
He said: “Put simply, David is a great friend. He's one of my closest and most trusted partners in the world. On many of the most pressing challenges that we face, we see the world the same way.
“We recognise that, as I've said before, when the United States and the United Kingdom stand together, our nations are more secure and our people are more prosperous and the world is safer and more just.”
He added: “Great Britain is our indispensable partner, and David has been personally an outstanding partner, and I thank you for your friendship.”
Asked whether Britain should “stick to the plan” and if Mr Cameron is “right” over his plans for the economy, the President said: “I would note that Great Britain and the United States are two economies that are standing out at a time when a lot of other countries are having problems. So we must be doing something right.”
src:telegraph.co.uk