Ed Miliband's speech: neither here nor there
Peter Hoskin 3:58pm
Where are Ed Miliband's editors? If twenty minutes had been lopped off that speech, then
it might have been quite a decent little number. As it was, it dwelt too long on the past at the beginning; it hit all of its high notes in the middle; and sagged again during an protracted
conclusion. Maybe if David Miliband doesn't stand for the shadow cabinet, he might be persuaded to stick around and at least fine-tune his brother's speeches.
As for what we learnt about the MiliE leadership, most of it was presentational. The phrase "new generation" popped up with machine gun regularity, as did words like "optimism" and "change". This was all about setting himself apart from New Labour – but not too much. Blair and Brown were praised at monotonous length, but then he'd talk about how the party had lost touch with the public. The election result was portrayed as a victory for Labour activists over "Lord Ashcroft's millions," but then it was described as "bad". On the one hand, on the other hand. This, yet that. And, of course, we shouldn't support "irresponsible strikes".
This Janus act, facing both ways at once, bled into Miliband's sketchy policy prospectus. At times, he was a fiscal hawk, soaring on currents of "fiscal credibility" and "severe cuts". But then he'd stress that Alistair Darling's deficit reduction plan is only a "starting point", and attack, say, the withdrawal of the Sheffield Forgemasters loan. More revealing, perhaps, were the areas where he did seem to agree, more or less, with the coalition: prisons, welfare reform, the need for strong families, etc. Indeed, he employed quite a Cameroonian lexicon, talking about "responsibility" and, er, "the good society". And at one point, he even said that the state, a potential "vested interest," can be an "impediment to the good society".
The most certain aspects of Miliband's speech were the things we knew about already. Iraq, the living wage, civil liberties – all made an appearance, and seemed to be warmly received by the crowd. They had come to witness the birth of a new generation, and at times – especially when Miliband took on the hubris of the Brown years – it looked as though they had got it. But, overall, the new Labour leader seemed to be stuck in stasis, uncertain of the direction of travel. Perhaps he'll have made his mind up by the time the Spending Review comes around.
Previous
Lord Boyders
September 28th, 2010 4:04pm Report this commentBloody marvellous!
TrevorsDen
September 28th, 2010 4:08pm Report this comment'Maybe we'll get a clearer sense of what he's about by the time the Spending Review comes around.' .... I would not bank on it.
Nicholas Hallam
September 28th, 2010 4:09pm Report this commentIt's easy to be overgenerous as if we are commenting on the speech of a promising 6th former to a party conference - like William Hague's in 1977, in fact.
One thing that stuck in the craw for me, though, was his attempt to connect with family values while he chooses, mysteriously, to absent himself from the role of father on his own child's birth certificate. Not a good start.
Chris lancashire
September 28th, 2010 4:12pm Report this commentNo, you won't get a clearer idea of what he's about because there's absolutely nothing there. Yet another career politician, following Brown and Blair, grasping for power for its own sake.
Clear minded Labourites must be weeping.
HJ
September 28th, 2010 4:22pm Report this commentHe had absolutely nothing to say, did he?
And from his delivery style it sounded like he had even less to say than taht.
GeoffH
September 28th, 2010 4:33pm Report this commentThe speech was vacuous and poorly delivered. It made you long for the days of Neil Kinnock.
Someone who could drive you into rage with the wrongheadedness of the content but carry you on a wave of pleasure at the soaring rhetoric.
As with Michael Foot.
Or for Harold Wilson and high quality joke content.
Or Jim Callaghan for the matey earnestness and general decency.
But this?
paulg
September 28th, 2010 4:40pm Report this commentI think what we have just seen there was how comprehensive the Conservative victory was- every argument made about state and society was acceded too.
If I did not know better I would assume he was asking for a seat in Cameron’s government.
If people want to know why the Labour party thought they never stood a chance at the election and even now still within touching distance still don’t believe they can’t win is because the conservative arguments and solutions crushed the labour leadership as they privately acknowledged to themselves that they were wrong.
David Booth
September 28th, 2010 4:42pm Report this commentThe more I see of Ed Miliband the more I am struck by the strong resemblance he has with Bernie Winters, the stooge half of Mike and Bernie Winters, a so called comedy duo from the 1960's, who went down very well at the Glasgow Empire Theatre!
I do hope this is not an oman for the New/Old (delete where applicable) Labour Party.
Matt
September 28th, 2010 4:44pm Report this commentWell said. It was all about triangulation, tactics and rhetoric. New Labour believed that that what they said was all that mattered and that nobody would notice what they were actually doing or not doing. The fact that he has actually stuck so closely to the New Labour political songsheet gives the lie to his claim to represent a clean break.
davidk
September 28th, 2010 5:06pm Report this commentLet's not be churlish, it was fine speech.
Anne Wotana Kaye 1
September 28th, 2010 5:26pm Report this commentListening to the platitudes Ed Millipede squeaks out I want to vomit. If his family were so grateful for taking them in to escape Hitler, why didn't they volunteer to join the armed forces? Obviously Marxism is the main ethos of this disgusting family. Religion - worth nothing, Marriage and Family - equally without value, Ambition - Most definitely, seize what you can and to blazes with fraternal loyalties. Not that I shed any tears for David, a pair of hyenas!
Richard of York
September 28th, 2010 5:29pm Report this commentseen the latest opinion poll?
It took 11 years for the tories to do that against Blair. Labour has done it in 5 months.
Happy Days
CUFFLEYBURGERS
September 28th, 2010 5:44pm Report this commentLabour have the happy knack of not understanding what they have done over the last 13 years.
They continue to go on about improving the lot of the poor (by sloshing other people's money in their direction) whilst totally ignoring the fact that because of the badly managed welfare programmes, a large underclass is trapped on benefits. An education system destroyed by the comprehensive system and unimproveable thanks to the unions ensures that upwards mobility is at its lowest for several generations.
They bang on about liberty ignoring the fact that their government has been unquestionably the one with the most illiberal instincts since the middle ages.
This ignorance is understandable in the leaders since their their whole philosphy is based on lies.
But their are plenty of genuinely intelligent, well meaning and nice people in the unions (even) and in the party who accept this stuff, and continue to believe, againsts all the evidence, that the Tories are evil and only want to rob the workers trample them into the ground - opinions so totally at odds with the evidence as well as common sense - I can only conclude that being a labour supporter is like being a catholic.
Quite bizarre.
Bickers
September 28th, 2010 5:46pm Report this commentRoY,
Polls mean nothing at the moment. Naturally, there are a lot of people who are nervous of the upcoming (& unfortunately necessary) spending cuts so they either protest against the incumbent Government or naievly believe that Labour will spare them from said cuts.
Labour are desperate to pin all of our troubles on the bankers, but they regulated them! And the problems caused by the banks pale into insignificance compared to the debts run up by Labour. Like it or not all Labour governments leave the country's finances in a mess when they leave office; they always spend other people's money in a profligate and wasteful way; 9000+ public sector workers earning more than the prime minister - crazy and it happened on Labour's watch.
Anne Wotana Kaye 1
September 28th, 2010 6:02pm Report this commentNicholas Hallam
September 28th, 2010 4:09pm
One thing that stuck in the craw for me, though, was his attempt to connect with family values while he chooses, mysteriously, to absent himself from the role of father on his own child's birth certificate. Not a good start.
=======================
Does the certificate state "Father not known"? Maybe the wretched woman had a child with a test tube.
Fergus Pickering
September 28th, 2010 6:03pm Report this commentLOabour leaders tend to windbaggery. The line goes from Michael Foot, through the Pillock straight to Ed Millipede. They like the sound of their own voices far too much in my opinion.
Simon Stephenson
September 28th, 2010 6:11pm Report this commentRichard of York
If the Conservatives are so useless, it's a pity Labour made such a pig's ear of government that they couldn't even win the election earlier this year. Or was it the biassed media that took it away from Labour?
Actually, with your mental dexterity, I'm surprised you haven't managed to conjour up an argument that blames the economic woes for Labour's defeat, yet denies that remaining with economic woes has any impact on anti-government feeling now. I'd have thought this would have been well within your grasp - you've employed even more breathtaking illogic before, and doubtless will do so again.
Go and take pleasure in you opinion poll and try not to think which party has a mandate to govern this country for the next four and a half years.
Tapestry
September 28th, 2010 6:49pm Report this commentWot Ed Did On His Holidays.
It was a rambling essay, not a motivational speech.
Frank P
September 28th, 2010 7:13pm Report this commentAWK1
"One thing that stuck in the craw for me, though, was his attempt to connect with family values while he chooses, mysteriously, to absent himself from the role of father on his own child's birth certificate. Not a good start."
You're not suggesting that Big Bro gave her one and this whole thing is Little Bro's way of getting his own back - so to speak? Well, I never. Would never have thought of that. Very interesting.
Frank P
September 28th, 2010 7:18pm Report this commentSorry - should have addressed that to Nicky Hallam - AWK was quoting him and then experimenting with test tubes. She seems to be suggesting that Red Ed had more of a result screwing his brother than his girl friend. So it goes!
Richard of York
September 28th, 2010 7:18pm Report this commentSimple
What mandate?
Are you rewriting history now and Cameron achieved a majority?
Read the polls at Christmas and weep.
Happy Days
Nicholas
September 28th, 2010 7:26pm Report this commentDorkboy you really are a wanker.
Paddy
September 28th, 2010 7:29pm Report this commentTrickie Dickie: "Seen the latest opinion polls".
Yes, they are more popular in opposiition than they were in government.
Where they can do least harm.
Olaf Rye
September 28th, 2010 10:05pm Report this commentOh, happy days indeed ! An anemic Labour leader and the cuts are still going to come and lay low the civil servants and scroungers, potentially giving the rest of us a break after thirteen years of being screwed to protect the Labour client votes. I doubt Milliband will appeal to middle-England, where Labour was trounced, so all is well. Let the cuts come, the more severe the better !
Anne Wotana Kaye 1
September 28th, 2010 10:15pm Report this commentFrank P: You are very naughty!
Sorry, but the millipedes are bringing out the worst (or best) in us.
Holly ......
September 28th, 2010 11:57pm Report this commentROY.
I have said on other posts I am glad the polls are where they are,it is conference week and 'New Generation Labour'have a new leader,so it is expected and heartwarming for you all.
HOWEVER,What Ed has done is shaft everyone on his way to becoming leader....IN PUBLIC..
On LIVE telly!
Tonight someone,somewhere will be pissed off
that they have been shafted by ANOTHER
pretend Tory,a Blair clone.
Not a new idea,or solution to be heard.
Just nick the government's policies..It worked for Bozo.
Ed has been sussed already.
Sorry for laughing...
Enjoy.
Happy days!!!!
END OF DAY THREE!!!
Simon Stephenson
September 29th, 2010 12:30pm Report this commentHolly : 11.57pm
"Tonight someone,somewhere will be pissed off that they have been shafted by ANOTHER pretend Tory,a Blair clone. Not a new idea,or solution to be heard. Just nick the government's policies..It worked for Bozo."
But this is how the modern mind seems to work, Holly. Look at TV programming. No sooner has one channel come up with an audience pleaser than they've all copied the same formula, as if the height of commercial sophistication is to ape the market leader. The whole process is so defensive and pessimistic. By all means look at success, and try to discover what has made it successful. Is it a sea-change, or just a non-enduring gimmick? But, for heaven's sake have some faith that humanity can be onward and upward, and doesn't need to protect its achievements by going sideways and sideways.
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