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Miliband and McNicol message to staff following Bradford West defeat

March 30, 2012 4:39 pm

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This afternoon Ed Miliband and General Secretary Iain McNicol sent out this joint message to staff following the defeat in Bradford West last night. You can read the email in full below:

—————-

Dear All,

As you will have seen we had an incredibly disappointing result last night in Bradford West. Lots of people have worked very hard and for them and for everyone who supports Labour, the most important thing is that good comes of this. That’s why we are determined to learn the lessons of what happened and redouble our efforts ahead of the big elections in May.

Clearly there were local factors, our polling and work on the ground did not show the late surge of votes, and there are important lessons to be learned from this. But let no one claim this as a combination of extraordinary factors that means we can dismiss the result as exceptional.

We’ve got to understand the reasons why this happened in Bradford. We have to understand how we change our way of organising to meet changing communities, changing attitudes towards politics and changing reasons to vote. Only four out of 10 people voted for the three mainstream political parties.

We have seen victories in by-elections in places like Oldham, Leicester and Feltham where we have performed well and won well, but we did not have the same result last night in Bradford.

We will go back to the constituency in the coming weeks to talk to people there about why this happened. And we will act fast to make any changes that are needed.

Above all last night reinforces something we have been saying since we came into our roles; we need to be engaged and rooted in every community of this country.

We need to show to people that our politics, that Labour politics, can make a difference to people’s lives. That means changing. We must change to win.

Our staff in Bradford were fantastic. As always our staff give everything for Labour and Bradford West was no exception. Staff can hold their heads high about their performance, we shoulder these problems as one party and we fight back as one party.

We are changing the party to win the next election. Last night showed that this change must be faster and more profound. This is why we are going through this vital process of renewal. If the Labour Party is to be the most effective community organisation in the country you are the people to make that happen. This work must now continue with even greater commitment and enthusiasm.

Best Wishes,

Ed Miliband                                             Iain McNicol

Leader of the Labour Party              General Secretary

Related posts:

  1. Bradford West candidate selected
  2. Miliband to visit Bradford and “learn lessons”
  3. Bradford West by-election liveblog
  4. Could Labour lose Bradford West?
  5. Bradford West shortlist
  • http://twitter.com/LifeDownloaded Life: Downloaded

    I’ve heard reports of Labour campaign team members switching sides and the candidate not attending hustings. The message in this post is one of the best examples of attempting to put a positive spin on something bad.

    There seems to be a degree of complacency in this campaign. I wonder what Labour’s Campaign Co-ordinator has to say. Where are you Tom?

  • http://twitter.com/gonzozzz dave stone

    “We will go back to the constituency in the coming weeks to talk to people there about why this happened.”

    This is a bit like closing the barn door when the horse has gone. If there’d been democracy within the Party the Labour elite would’ve heard all about why it happened loud and clear long ago.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=697126564 Paul Halsall

    Comments here on Labour List seem to deny that “Our staff in Bradford were fantastic”.  

    I am sure some worked very very hard, but there seems to have been massive complacency.  John Mann’s account that there were no local Labour activists who could campaign in Asian areas in locally used languages is witness to that (especially with 19 Labour councillors  in Bradford from South Asian backgrounds.)

    The local party seems to have become the power base for group of  mutual backscratchers who get their friends business licences based on who knew who sixty years ago in Azad Kashmir.  Even the grandchildren of these people did not vote Labour seem to have rejected the system.  [ See http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/mar/27/george-galloway-bradford-west-byelection  which seems to have got the picture right *before* the election.]

    Is this still the case in Glasgow (as it was for decades and decades)? Or are we too loose there with another group of “fantastic staff”?

    • Politique

      Paul, It does not matter how fantastic the staff are or hard they worked, Labour cannot connect because of local and national issues not being addressed. Race, nationality, religion is irrelevant. George Galloway won because Labour has failed to move on from New Labour period.

      Many Labour Party members are so disillusioned with local politics they refuse or decline to be activists because of local control freakery MPs who control everything.

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  • Politique

    Message to Mr Miliband and Mr McNicol,

    The recent Bradford by election has identified that national factors and not just local factors are to blame. The community has spoken. Bradford is typical of a northern heartland and labour community. If the party continue with this madness of choosing, selecting candidates that do not relate to the community they serve (That is quite clear here) you will continue to reside over poor result and a failed general election. Do not look for excuses for failure. Labour were smashed at the ballot box.

    Labour is continuing to carry on with failed organisational structures at local level. They wish to bring in new faces which alienates the old. The old faces are stuck in their ways and not only refuse to change but they take the power away from local labour party members and supporters. MP’s protecting their own interests before the interest of their constituency. Top down control over local party politics. Ed Miliband is no better. His office is full of handchosen wannabee MP’s who have no connection to community or people. London based activists chosen to represent northern based constituencies.  Barristers, Lawyers, QC, Oxbridge elite, Journalists etc all with ties to Ed Miliband, Harriet Harman and London. This will not do. It would appear that warning signs have continued on websites like these. Speaking out is important. Listening is even more important. Being bold, courageous and listening to the voices of the working class. The Labour NEC, The Office of Miliband have done neither.Listening to the voices that have turned away from New Labour and Brownite politics is paramount.

    Continue with this arrogance of more of the same, not only will we have a new leader, a new shadow cabinet but a new party.

    No Policies. No ideas. No direction. No talent.

    The labour party is no longer the party of the people but the party of privilege.

    Look at your own constituency and area, you are not popular.

    If I were Ed Miliband I would be very worried . He cannot afford to be complacent

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Homfray/510980099 Mike Homfray

      I don’t think it is as typical as you suggest. Bradford has a very specific make-up of Kashmiri Muslims, and the factors which were raised were not particularly national

      For a start, the deputy leader of the local council was the chosen candidate, so it can hardly be viewed as a parachuting in. He may have been seen as part of a local oligarchy but he was a local candidate – in this case beaten by a very high profile ‘comer-in’

      And many of the most salient issues were neither national or local – but international. Look at Galloway’s campaign themes and post-election tweets

      I would agree that the local party appears dominated by prominent dynasties and is certainly not large for a safe seat. 

      But I wonder , if this is your view, whether you support Labour in any case – who would you pick for leader who would turn the party round given your antipathy to Ed?

      • Politique

        Hello Mike, I have my reasons for my antipathy. It could be argued that members of CLPs are out of touch with mainstream thinkinking by choosing the wrong candidates. Power relations is very important to Labour. They exploit it. Ed Balls, Yvette Cooper, Ed Miliband, Rachel Reeves Stephen Twigg, Chukka Ummuna are not right for Labour. They have taken over a party that they think serves them. We both know that that there a ways of friendly persuasion to get in a candidate the heirarchy choose.. They are smug and think they are untouchable. They take members and supporters for granted. We need change and fast.

        • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Homfray/510980099 Mike Homfray

          OK – just to get a handle on what you are saying.

          Who is right for Labour if those people are wrong – and just so you know I am far from being a Blairite and according to some on here should be in the SWP!

          I can’t see why Ed Miliband, Rachel Reeves or Chuka Umuna aren’t right for Labour. Liam Byrne and James Purnell, maybe!

          I don’t think there are enough people in local parties – and Bradford West appears to be controlled by family dynasties

          • politique

            Mike, Labour will never win an election at this present time. It either changes or dies or at the very least we will have a new leader. It is not working.

          • treborc

            I suspect the Tories are doing labours job for them right now committing suicide slowly but surely.

            I doubt labour has to do to much or say to much to get elected hence Miliband leaving the door open to his beloved middle class.

            But of course the Tories are in a better place to make things better for it’s target voter in two years time in a budget give away, which it will,

      • Franwhi

         Mike – it’s the same constituency profile they had last time when Labour won – so the variable is Labour not the electorate.  Get real with the psephology if you must do post mortens. 

        • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Homfray/510980099 Mike Homfray

          I wasn’t suggesting otherwise – although in fact the variable was Galloway and his campaign.

          If you had read my other contributions you would see that I’m not uncritical of Labour, but we do need to avoid making generalisations.

          Also, I support the Labour party, I know you prefer the SNP, but I think it reasonable to be able to state a preferred alternative if the leadership is criticised .

    • Graemeyh

      I think this letter  was a very humble, realistic and honest. He was hardly being complacent.

      What a nasty ungracious comment.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_SKUIBA5QF5QV4LRMURWBNMSGOI Lisping Ed

    Listening to Miliband’s weasel words this morning was so telling of the man and his character. A few meaningless platitudes and “we’ve got to understand what went wrong” just about sums him up.

    The arrogance of the man.

    • Graemeyh

      Spiteful, vitriolic comment

      • treborc

        Look at the name they use for god sake, lucky he was not really disabled .

  • Graemeyh

    Good, honest letter. What the hell else was he supposed to say. Some of the people who leave comments on this page. Theyre awful!

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  • Mike Murray

    I do not agree with George Galloway or Respect on everything (particularly the Israel/Palestine situation)  but as someone from Old Labour I preferred to see someone from the Left winning in Bradford rather than a Tory. Much in the same way as I preferred to see Caroline Lucas win in Brighton rather than  a Tory.  I was also delighted to see the Lib Dem stooges losing their deposit in Bradford and the right wing coalition go down collectively in flames.

      The lessons for Ed Miliband and the party are that we should move the party without fear towards the left because after the global economic crisis and the right wing coalition’s response to it  the people are clamouring for us to return to our values ante New Labour. We should also make approaches to any party of the left that comes into parliament on a protest vote and assimilate it into a Coalition of the Left umbrella. Furthermore,  we should set up immediately a review of Clause 4 to see if it really is fit for purpose given the extent of social ownership that we should be advocating as a party now that the economics of the deregulated market have so obviously destroyed the lives of so many millions. 

    • treborc

       You had better go out and look for a front bench and a bunch of MPs who would have fits if you said this to them in Conference.

      You only need to look at the sheep who followed Blair into the Iraq war and although Miliband was not then an MP if he was or had been you can bet your last penny he would have voted with the rest.

      Labour sees it’s self as a middle of the road Middle class party now who might just might let the working class in,n but only if they have a job.

  • Makem73

    I watched the Big Question this morning and listened to the debate, but for me the one that stood out was the answer to the statement above.
    The discussions from the Asian representatives, EDL leader, and community reps, each of those individuals represent a small minority, but they talk loud. As for the lack of black and Asian MPs, then the same can be said the lack of younger or female MPs. The MPs are are from and older generation, dinosaurs in terms of most people on the street, or so out of touch with the their representative communities that people cant relate to them. This is demonstrated in the membership of some of these groups and the number of people who vote, less than 30% of the Bradford population voted, this is replicated across the country. 70% of the population are crying out for somebody to represent them, not bigots, not religious fundamentalism, not upper crust stuffed shirts,these attitudes can be practised in their own time and in their own front rooms or places of worship. There is a desire for somebody to represent the future possibilities, for a new generation that can move forward. Many of those below the age of 40/45 have grown up in multi cultural societies, we have extensively travelled across the globe. Not to conquer or rage war, but to explore other cultures, to embrace different things. This generation is the new future, more should be done to support and welcome new younger people into political office, if we continue to allow minorities to speak on our behalf then the numbers who vote will continue to decline and those in political office will continue to not represent the average person on the street. 

  • Pingback: On Bradford, anti-imperialist Labourism, social democracy and real Labour values | Left Futures

  • Atbpisces

    i have sent email twice with attachments to the labour party general secretary mr mc nicol
    and as yet had no acknowedgement first on the 14th second on 18th April 2012  
    the glasgow office has them i have asked for them to be sent to mr mc nicol himself
    it is about the attitude  of a councillor and an msp and it not being dealt with

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