Could ‘One Nation Labour’ appeal?

At the Labour Party conference this week, much was said about the new direction of the party, and the rousing opening speech from leader Ed Miliband.

I attended a live debate on the Victoria Derbyshire radio show on Monday morning before the official start of the conference. From the outset, the overwhelming sentiment of the 250 audience members was very clear: Labour lack direction and Ed Miliband isn’t an inspiring leader.

Before the conference, Labour’s tactic of attacking the government’s policies whilst not formulating many of their own has caused disillusionment. Although numerous opinion polls show they are 10 points ahead of the Conservatives, others show that voters actually prefer David Cameron and George Osborne to handle the economy than Ed Miliband and Ed Balls.

The criticism of Labour’s inactivity is not fairly levelled.  Ed Miliband has only been leader for two years. We have three very uncertain years ahead before the next general election. The ongoing Eurozone crisis, coupled with a double-dip recession in the UK, means Labour have no idea how the books will be balanced should they regain power. Labour cannot make policies so far removed from a general election because they don’t know whether they’ll be able to keep them. I do not accept Nick Clegg’s apology for raising tuition fees after campaigning against them, and I will not accept any apology from Ed Miliband if he reneges on a promise.

Ed Miliband’s opening speech on Monday set the tone for the rest of the conference. Not only did his conversational and humorous delivery, without the use of notes, dispel the notion that he could be a character in a Wallace and Gromit episode, but the speech also had substance. Borrowing the rhetoric of ‘One Nation’ from Benjamin Disraeli crossed party lines and combined nostalgia with optimism for ‘One Nation Labour’.

Miliband has been successful from moving away from New Labour, which was characterised by the Blair-Brown split and the financial crash, towards a Labour that is more cohesive and focused. His presence, charisma and ability to lead have often been called into question, but at the moment he is the only leader with total support from his party. His speech will resonate with Liberal Democrats more than Clegg’s did a week ago.

But has he done enough? He was elected with huge support from union members and affiliates, with his brother David receiving the majority of Labour MPs’ votes. But after expressing his disapproval at the public sector strikes in 2011 over pension cuts, he may have bitten the hand that feeds him. And with the ongoing row between Len McCluskey, general secretary of Unite, Labour’s biggest donor, and the party leadership, Labour’s relationship with the unions is becoming increasingly fractured.

I oppose public sector pay-cuts; having higher employment is not only more beneficial to the economy in the long run, but also to individuals’ wellbeing. This feeling will be shared by the core of Labour voters and many members of the trade unions too. The feud between the unions and the party would have hurt Old Labour, but ‘One Nation Labour’ has evolved and protected itself from a union backlash.

Upon leaving the debate on Monday morning, I questioned other audience members as to whether their views about the party and its leadership had changed. The mood was still bleak – most were questioning the inactivity of the party, speaking of how they feel that they can’t connect with Ed Miliband. From his speech on Monday, to the party political broadcast in which he talks about his comprehensive education, it is impossible not to warm to him. Every time he speaks about going to Haverstock, we are reminded that Cameron went to Eton.

In terms of connecting with the electorate, this has been a successful week for Mr Miliband. A week is a long time in politics; two years is much longer. It is definitely too early to assume this year’s conference has catapulted the party into a very secure position. However, Miliband, bolstered by a cohesive party, has the ability to lead ‘One Nation Labour’ and push the party forward.