Miliband predicts ‘a decade of disorder’ around the globe

In a wide-ranging speech, which covered global politics, regional government and education, Mr Miliband delivered a bullish assessment of Europe’s long-term prospects, despite the upheavals in the eurozone.

Mr Miliband said that the continuing inequality between men and women was one of the biggest challenges facing the global economy.

Countries with “closed social systems” are going to fall backwards, he warned.

He said it would be “batty” to attempt to reduce the numbers of foreign students attending British universities, because of the global connections and long-term economic benefits they bring.

“Successful societies are connected societies,” he said.

He was one of the keynote speakers at the Yorkshire International Business Convention (YIBC), which attracted more than 700 business leaders to the Bridlington Spa yesterday.

Other speakers included Sir Terry Leahy, the former chief executive of Tesco, Professor Brian Cox, the professor of particle physics who used to be a keyboard player with the band D’Ream, and David Weir, the wheelchair athlete who won four gold medals at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

In his speech, Mr Miliband warned that we could be faced with a leaderless world, in which the western nations can no longer lead on their own, and the new superpowers in the east are reluctant to provide leadership, because they are focusing on their internal challenges.

We’re also living through a time when “small parts of the global economy can upend the global economy”, according to Mr Miliband.

He cited the upheavals in places like Greece as proof of this.

At the same time, Mr Miliband said that the world was undergoing an extraordinary democratic revolution in which it was hard to keep things private, because of the growth of the internet and the use of social media.

He told the audience: “The resource crunch, pre-dated the credit crunch... Europe is going to rebound in the medium to long term... Five years plus, Europe is a good bet.”

He said Europe was remarkably resilient with a strong commitment to the rule of law. Mr Miliband highlighted Germany’s long-term economic strength.

He added: “Anybody who wants to bet against Europe has to bet against the German economy.”

Mr Miliband predicted that the tension between politics and economics will grow, and a “new generation of pivotal powers” were emerging, such as Poland, who will have more economic and political influence.

“The world is urbanising very fast,’’ he said. “The big economic players will be the cities. Urban mayors and urban leaders are going to become global leaders.”

Mr Miliband, who was Foreign Secretary from 2007 to 2010, also spoke out against the dangers of centralising government. “If you try to plan everything from the centre, you will fail,” he added.

After delivering his speech, Mr Miliband criticised the coalition Government’s “misguided” decision to “rip up regional development agencies like Yorkshire Forward”.

In September, he will take up a new role as chief executive of the International Rescue Committee, a humanitarian organisation based in New York. He told the Yorkshire Post: “The odd thing is that there are fewer wars, but more people fleeing conflict. My aim is to help more people build a sustainable solution.”

He said he was “strongly supportive” of his brother Ed, who leads the Labour Party.

In his speech, Sir Terry Leahy described the remarkable growth of Tesco during his 14 years as chief executive.

He gave his favourite definition of leadership: “A leader will take you further than you would go on your own.”

Founded in Leeds in 1994 by businessman Mike Firth, the YIBC has welcomed some of the biggest names in business and politics, including former US President Bill Clinton and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

The East Yorkshire leg of the YIBC had previously been a satellite event for the main YIBC event in Harrogate. The YIBC has become so popular in East Yorkshire, that it is now run as a standalone event in Bridlington Spa.

n There will be full coverage of the event and speakers in the next edition of Business Tuesday.

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