Why I’m backing Ed Miliband for leader

By Wayne David MP

As we move beyond the first phase of the Labour leadership contest, it is clear that the eventual victor will be either David or Ed Miliband.

At the start of the contest I thought carefully about who to support; I was torn between the two brothers. But what made me sway in the direction of Ed was two factors. Firstly, the warmth of his personality, combined with his lucidity and ability to genuinely listen. Secondly, his belief, borne out of our collective experience, about what needs to change in our party for us to win power as soon as possible.

As the campaign has gone on, I have been more convinced of the correctness of my choice. I have attended hustings, as well as having heard Ed discuss a range of issues with party members, trade unionists and members of the public. What comes across is his ability to empathise with whomever he is speaking with or talking to. This is vital, not merely in intra-party terms, but because it is more important than ever for an aspiring Prime Minister to be able to communicate effectively with ordinary people.

This leads me to the second of Ed’s strengths. That is his belief that Labour cannot simply re-embrace “New Labour” if it is serious about winning the next general election. I am not one of those who disparage 13 years of Labour government. As a minister in the last government, I was, and remain, enormously proud of our huge achievements, not least of the way Gordon Brown prevented a deep and prolonged recession.

But that is not to say that Labour should not learn from our period in government. Moreover, we need to recalibrate our political philosophy in the new circumstances in which the country finds itself.

As to the lessons to be learned, although I do not claim to possess a definitive analysis, I think it is important for us to acknowledge that the circumstances which led us to war in Iraq resulted in a “loss of trust” amongst the electorate. As an MP who voted in favour of the war, it is important for me, and others like me, to acknowledge that the absence of weapons of mass destruction called into question the raison d’être for our intervention in Iraq. It is important for us to acknowledge this reality.

Over a period of 13 years, Labour gradually lost significant support amongst large sections of the coalition that brought us to power in 1997. We can all cite the 75p pension increase, the 10p tax debacle and the mistakes made over the Gurkhas. However, more damaging than any single issue was the fact that towards the end of our period in government Labour lacked an inspiring vision. Linked to this was the fact that Labour in government became increasingly technocratic; the impression was given that New Labour was more concerned about running the machinery of government rather than “changing” the country.

To ensure that Labour re-engages with the electorate, we now need to move beyond “New Labour”. Our vision of a new Britain must chime with people’s realities; build upon people’s innate sense of fairness and decency, and transcend the class divisions which have historically defined the Britain of the past and which, today, are growing ever wider.

Such a practical vision needs to have a firm moral base and has to be conveyed with passion, conviction and enthusiasm. Here Ed Miliband can come into his own. Of all the candidates, he is the one who is best able to relate to people and inspire them. Our message must be appealing to the “heart” as well as to the “head”.

A clear vision is also required to provide a framework within which our policies can be developed. But for those policies to be appropriate and effective they need to have been generated by a Labour movement which both reflects and understands today’s Britain. One of the features of New Labour was its “top down” approach towards policy development. This is no longer appropriate to meet the challenges we now face. There is a need to encourage, rather than stifle, debate in the party about our future direction; constructive dialogue is a prerequisite for winning power, rather than an indulgence to be frowned on. We should not, of course, allow ourselves to slip back into the kind of introverted navel-gazing which characterised Labour when we were last in opposition. We should, however, ensure that Labour becomes a party which prefigures the kind of country we wish to create – fair, open, tolerant and inclusive. Our mission must be to rejuvenate the party so that we are able to put forward a truly inspiring message at the next general election. Ed Miliband is the candidate to do this.

Wayne David is Labour MP for Caerphilly and shadow minister for Wales.