‘I’m ready for a fight.’ That line more than any other summed up the resounding success that was this afternoon’s speech by Ed Miliband. It really was a very good speech.
When it first became clear that a large slice of Ed’s address was devoted to ‘values’, I admit I was a tad concerned. Simply bemoaning the state of British society and laying the blame at the door of Nor Ten wasn’t going to work. However, Ed was able to push past simply calling for a moral crusade and instead refocused the view of what British values really are. He looked at the state of British society with a wide-angled lens and the captured the image perfectly.
Continuing on from Ed Balls’ humility over certain aspects of Labour’s economic record, it was a brave but necessary decision by Ed Miliband to firmly state his commitment that the next Labour government will live within its means and manage the money of taxpayers properly. Couple this with his nuanced yet forceful attack on the government for ignoring the importance of growth and job creation and we really can begin to see Ed as a leader with a credible alternative to the Tory programme of austerity.
Ed’s analysis of Labour’s failings in the 1980s and the successes that New Labour brought for our party and our country really showed that he is under no illusion as to what it takes to win or indeed lose elections. He was able to create a pro-business rhetoric which will have been as pleasing to the trade unions as it was to businesses. Corporate responsibility and businesses which genuinely care about the long-term health of the economy and of society were presented as the cornerstones of Labour’s plan for a good economic system which would (to stay on message) fulfil the promise of Britain.
This summer’s scandals of phone hacking and rioting were always going to feature in some way or another. Trying to bring these events together under the umbrella of a morally bankrupt Britain is a dangerous route. However, it true contrast to David Cameron’s image of sick Britain, Ed successfully painted a picture of a country where no community should be written off and where no group of people should be condemned.
The disgusting behaviour of those involved in phonehacking was, Ed said, the very worst of the crisis at the top of British society. Both with the hacking scandal and the riots, Ed was right to state that is ordinary people who suffer, those same people who would have no hope of reaching the top of journalism or politics yet would also never dream of destroying their communities through reckless rioting. It is those people, the vast majority of British society, to whom Ed offered a new bargain, a deal which would, ‘ensure responsibility from top to bottom.’
Ed spoke of writing a new chapter in Britain’s history. I am sure that today marked a new chapter in Labour’s path back to power. Ed is ready for a fight and we need to be right behind him. Credible, serious and in touch – that was today’s speech. Now is the time for Ed to build on his successes over the past few months and present a credible, serious and in touch alternative for the country.
Callum Munro is the youth and student representative on Labour’s NEC
So you think Ed was good well I suspect since he will carry on fighting for the middle England swing voters I suspect you would.
As a bloke with out the use of my legs and other major issues I think Labour left me to chase after Tory voters.
I mean I’m going to be hit I may as well vote Tory at least I know what they are l;ike.
basically labour has sold out to the middle England
and if you catch those Tory voters,jolly good luck mate,and actually jolly well done. Most decent people aspire to be not too rich and obviously not too poor,to care about their neighbour but not at the expense of their family ,expect a bit of nonsense from school kids but don’t want a poor performing bully culture school.
These things are all perfectly achievable in our nation,yes in ‘straights’ for now but a relatively wealthy nation. So cheer up treborc mate, it might happen!
A modern party leader requires only three qualities. Presence. Articulacy. Wit. S/he does not require massive brain power. That is freely available to them on demand. S/he does not require sincerity. That can be coached-in by the best in the business. S/he does not require ideology. There are several miles of shelves of that available. S/he does not require organisational ability. The whole of the civil service and the cabinet office can provide that.
The modern party leader has only one function. To stand up in front of one, dozens, thousands or millions and impress them, move them, excite them. S/he is not the writer or director of the movie. They are the lead actor. So when one hears, as I have, that our lead actor is ever so good face to face, jolly sincere and a really nice bloke, but just can’t…or worse, won’t…act, then one knows the movie will flop.
It’s such a hard lesson, and the greatest exponent our party has ever had, was yesterday booed, even by the beneficieries.
There is an alternative of course. One can say that only permanent opposition enables one to indulge one’s Hollywood fantasies to the full.
Hollywood ? ! ! who gives a flying erm pig about what succeeds there,what a very poor metaphor/analogy/comparison/ suplementary lifestyle hysterical compensationary fantasy you poor old chap – “Liberanos” aaaaanyhoo back in the real world .The cabinet/civil service are methodological wizards but most certainly do work to ideological directives, that is actually the point of them – to be able to do so , turn on a sixpence or in this case a tuppence ! BECAUSE the ideology changes.Oh and ‘modern’ shmodern, to counter the evil of a capitalism,not simply a ‘modern’ phenomenon, is a creative endeavour which currently eludes all brains ! There is no reason a creative and decent solution to our problems cannot come from man who simply has the guts to put himself out there,and with out the protection the Tory barons afford their um,dudes.
Oh dear. It was all going so amusingly well till I came to ‘the evil of capitalism’.
Rather like ‘Brothers in struggle against the boss class,’ it’s a phrase which represents an endearing but ultimately tragic misconception about the real world.
clarification: the evil PART of Capitalism – as opposed to the good bit, which is the contingency we need ,so not not throwing baby out with bath water,calm down,no tragic misconception for moi,I know the difference,clever dick.