Miliband in 'One Nation' pledge
Ed Miliband has made a bold grab for the political centre ground, using his keynote speech to Labour's annual conference to promise to "rebuild Britain as One Nation''.
In a bravura 65-minute performance yesterday, delivered without notes, Mr Miliband won warm applause from his audience in Manchester and the approval of commentators outside the hall as he called on Britons to come together in the fight to overcome the economic downturn.
He made no bones about stealing his One Nation slogan – first used by Conservative Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli – from the Tories, insisting that David Cameron had forfeited his right to claim that "we are all in this together'' because of the way he has governed since 2010.
Denouncing Mr Cameron's Government as a "miserable shower'' who had allowed state borrowing to rise, destabilised the NHS and cut taxes on millionaires while increasing them for pensioners, the Labour leader said: "If the medicine isn't working, change the medicine... (and) change the doctor too.''
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Mr Miliband put forward plans to end the requirement on businesses for quarterly reporting, in order to encourage long-term investment and planning. He also challenged the banks to separate their retail and investment arms by 2015 or be forced to by law.
And he confirmed plans for a new Technical Baccalaureate to provide "gold standard'' vocational education, including English and maths, to the age of 18.
Mr Miliband said he believed in the "spirit of One Nation" where "everyone has a stake, prosperity is fairly shared, we have a shared destiny, a sense of shared endeavour and a life we lead together. That is the Britain we must become.''
Comments
by 4_Stroke
Friday, October 05 2012, 2:34PM
“Patrick4939 I know what it means.... But the reality is that that the political divide means inequality. Depending where you live will determine the quality of life you will have to an increasingly significant degree.... The USA is possibly the worst example of federalism. In the States extreme poverty and extreme wealth can depend on which side of a road you live. I Know this from firsthand experience.”
by Bob491
Friday, October 05 2012, 1:06AM
“"Now this incompetent Con government has made the problem far worse by severe austerity measures that have completely failed to cut the deficit.' Which is very true. Why?"
Because forcing hundreds of thousands more people out of work and cutting the incomes of many more by wage cuts and being forced to accept mere part time work instead of full time means that they pay far less tax as a result. In addition much more is having to be spent on unemployment benefits. When you add in the multi £billion loss to the UK through widespread tax evasion by the over wealthy, the deficit increases at an alarming rate - 20% increase this year alone!
It isn't rocket science.”
by Secretwhisper
Thursday, October 04 2012, 10:51PM
“I am no way a Cameron fan, but Bob491 said that 'Now this incompetent Con government has made the problem far worse by severe austerity measures that have completely failed to cut the deficit.' Which is very true. Why? Because the austerity cuts were wiped out by the Eu bail outs and the IMF budget. Until we leave the EU, It will not matter If the Con's are in or the **** labour party. I'm sick to death of the Lib-lab-con's **** party.”
by intrest
Thursday, October 04 2012, 10:24PM
“In comment:I think the labour movement-has-over the years-manouvered everyone into believing were all the same.I dont think we are.If we lived in china-this would perhaps be a convincing sales pitch.We win of course-by default-as both parties perhaps-will share 50% of the vote.”
by garyb2011
Thursday, October 04 2012, 7:56PM
“Economic illiterates abound
Care in the Community in action”
by Bob491
Thursday, October 04 2012, 7:39PM
“Quote: "Is it just possible to get it into your head that the financial problems leading to the inevitable austerity measures are not UK or Government orientated ? They are international."
Which is why I stated: The bankers, many of them friends and party donors of the Cons, created the financial disaster worldwide.
Quote: "Look at Greece, Look at sunny Spain (with 19 Million unemployed !)"
Two more examples of the complete failure of austerity measures to solve the problem.
Severe austerity only makes matters much worse, which is why Greece especially is coming close to complete collapse. At the current rate, other countries may well follow suit eg UK unless it invests in green energy, affordable housing and new school buildings.
Fortunately the two Eds are likely to pilot the country out of the shambolic mess caused by the Cons and their wealthy friends and donors, after the next election. It can't come soon enough!”
by Patrick4939
Thursday, October 04 2012, 5:42PM
“4_stroke,
you are surely confusing matters. "Nation" refers to people. Devolution is a political question. It could be said that to give the scots and welsh some autonomy that this is the first step towards federalism. No one need fear this (except maybe the Royal family !). It seems to work well in the USA, Germany, Austria etc.”
by Patrick4939
Thursday, October 04 2012, 5:36PM
“Bob 491 your wise comments have inevitably collected red arrows quicker than the socialists collect taxes.
Is it just possible to get it into your head that the financial problems leading to the inevitable
austerity measures are not UK or Government orientated ? They are international. Look at Greece, Look at sunny Spain (with 19 Million unemployed !). Europe has united behind these countries to avoid a repetition of the World economic crisis of the 1920s and 1930s. You seem to think it fine to spend our way out of the problems !
Perhaps you are a benefits receiver hoping for more ?”
by Bob491
Thursday, October 04 2012, 5:11PM
“The bankers, many of them friends and party donors of the Cons, created the financial disaster worldwide.
Now this incompetent Con government has made the problem far worse by severe austerity measures that have completely failed to cut the deficit. In fact they have put up this deficit by 20% this year alone. And they will continue to do so unless they change course to plan B with much more investment in green energy, low cost housing and schools. Fat chance!
On top of that many over wealthy businesses and people, again friends and party donors of the Cons, have completely failed the country by depriving it of many £billions in rightful taxes.
In short the financial crisis is down to the Cons and their friends and party donors.
Fortunately in Ed Miliband we have an excellent politician who we can trust to do what he says, unlike our dishonest current PM.
He was great on TV wasn't he!”
by 4_Stroke
Thursday, October 04 2012, 4:38PM
“powellp....... quick rewind, New Labour new taxes! On taking office, the new chancellor Gordon Brown increased the fuel escalator further and put three pence onto a litre of petrol in his first Budget. That pushed taxes up to 81.5% of the total price of fuel.
Trusting Labour with the economy will be something those of us with long memories will find hard to do.”