People from the top and people from the bottom came to hear a man from the middle talk about all three. Ed Miliband did not come for praise or burial, but to staple some prime cuts of political flesh to the brittler bones of his policy programme. To articulate where he’s taking Labour. And to remind everyone who read a Sunday newspaper that he isn’t David Milliband, or Gordon Brown. And certainly not Ed Balls.
As at all such events, the speaking politician’s first responsibility is to ensure the waiting journalists could slake their thirst in a fountain of knackered clichés. They didn’t have to wait long; Ed’s speech was a rousing paean for the unsung heroes. A 14-hour night shift for hard working families. A kick in the pants for those who don‘t play by the rules. A bash for the bad bankers, but a boost for the better ones. Good people were thanked for what they do. Greedy executives were named and shamed. Responsibilities and rights refused to part company. And all over the country, those who cherish English cried out in pain.
Then from nowhere, a super line. A line which tied the speech together. A line which reconciled the New with the Blue. A line, at last, for both the newsmen and for the viewers. Labour, we heard, must be the ‘party of the grafters’. It was the sort of thing Tony Blair used to say, and really mean. And it’s the sort of thing that Ed Miliband should mean and really say.
He left soon after, not buried, but (sparingly) praised. The hacks went home with a headline under each arm. The activists felt warm inside. And even Dan Hodges liked it.
Ed’s weekend had been bad. But after a good morning’s graft, things were looking up.
And Blair saying I like him, he has saved New labour, problem for Ed his speech problems sounded like he had hay fever and Grafter in my locality means people who steal or commit fraud, you know like the four Labour MP’s and the ten or so who should have followed them, remember waving a cheque for £13,000 being waved. But then again perhaps if you return my legs return the use of my right arm, return my bowel and bladder, I would not need to claim benefits. But it’s OK I will get my NI number tattooed to my arm and pin a picture of a wheelchair to my coat. Heil Miliband.
I couldn’t agree more with this statement. We have to become a party of grafters, i’m not being niave when I say this, I’m more than aware of the internal politicking and vying for power within our party but the only way we are going to ensure that the public vote Labour at the next general election is through hard graft. The public’s trust in politics as an institution and politicians per se is at an all time low – The Labour Party are the only party in my opinion that can change this be we need to start changing this yesterday. This battle is about policies but it’s also about hard meaningful graft with the communities that elect us to serve and represent them – are we prepared I ask?