Why we’re backing David Miliband for leader

By Jack Evans and Kat Shields

“Change” has been a buzzword in politics since Disraeli, reignited as a mantra in Western politics since the election of Barack Obama two years ago. It is a phrase that can be dusted down as a slogan to bring victory to any political party, candidate or entity. Perversely, David Miliband being seen as the “heir apparent” means he enters this race with a disadvantage – despite raising more money then any other candidate (surely a virtue given the Labour Party’s appalling finances), and being the most familiar face on the ballot paper. Unlike his brother, David isn’t a blank canvas upon which anyone can paint their own stripe of progressive politics. Yet, David’s campaign is the one leadership campaign that deserves the “change” mantra. Unlike the other Miliband’s single issue driven campaign, David has presented a compelling vision for the future of the Labour Party. His is a radical vision that will rebuild the Labour Party as we know it. It is this vision for the future that makes David the right choice for students.

The average student now leaves university with a debt of £17,500 – a burden that would make even the most saintly person self-interested when it comes to this leadership race. So, to be blunt, students would be better off with David Miliband. He has personally pledged to vote against any future rise in tuition fees. He has also voiced support for a practicable graduate contribution to University costs, a policy which would make paying for University progressive, sustainable, and fairer as student numbers rise. This is without jumping on the bandwagon of the coalition’s regressive “graduate tax”. It is tempting to see the graduate tax as a easy solution to a hard problem – but the fact that it essentially saddles poorer families with even more debt (as well as making them pay debt for longer), makes the tax ultimately regressive, rather than progressive. David is also the candidate who has explicitly made a pledge to expanding University places – with a commitment to expand University participation to 60%. This wouldn’t just be done by setting a remote, Whitehall driven target, but by building on the huge improvements made in secondary education since 1997, by instilling in children a passion for learning that wouldn’t make university a burden or a privilege, but an enticing opportunity.

This expansion of opportunity to students isn’t just throughout higher education, but beyond. David recognises that education continues after graduation. In many sectors of the economy, particularly in Westminster, unpaid internships are the order of the day. A situation has therefore arisen in which only people who have a significant amount of cash can afford to work for weeks, usually months, without a wage. This isn’t just unfair, but is a growing cause of inequality. This was shown in last years’ Milburn report on social inequality, in which an entire chapter was dedicated to unpaid internships. David recognised this by backing Intern Aware, a national campaign run by students which seeks to have all interns paid a rate above the minimum wage.

David has backed many campaigns and signed many beneficial pledges for students. Yet David’s vision isn’t just a radical one for students, but for the entire Labour movement. He doesn’t just see the Labour Party as a tool for power, but as a living, breathing movement. His leadership wouldn’t simply cast off “New Labour” and its dogmas which resulted in thirteen years of successful government – though he has said we should move on from this simplistic characterisation. David would rather get rid of the centralised control which resulted in the worst excesses of the New Labour years. He would empower party members by giving them the right to elect the Party Chair, mould the Labour party into a vehicle for community action and make the doubling of party membership a priority. His campaign is based on party renewal and a bottom-up mentality, all of which has been molded into a grand “Movement for Change”. University students are a key part of his movement for a fresh and relevant Labour Party. His 1,000 Community Organisers, many of whom will be students and graduates, will help push for a new movement and a new mentality within the Labour Party to bring grassroots politics to the fore of party priorities.

As left wing students it is very easy, especially for the generation who became politically mature during the presidential race of Barack Obama, to get starry eyed over any candidate who attempts to use the mantra of “change” for their own political gain. David Miliband may be boring in the sense that he is the front runner and heir apparent, yet his vision for the Labour Party isn’t. Under his leadership the Labour Party would be much more than a political party – it would be a movement for change in every University, CLP and progressive organisation throughout the country. This is what makes David the once in a lifetime candidate for students.

Jack Evans & Kat Shields are the Co Chairs-Elect of Oxford University Labour Club.