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Ed Miliband’s Tribute to Her Majesty The Queen on her Diamond Jubilee

June 1, 2012 6:54 pm

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“On behalf of the Labour Party, I want to pay tribute to Her Majesty The Queen on the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee.

“She has served this country and the whole of the Commonwealth for the last sixty years with unstinting energy, loyalty, and dedication. Hers has been a life of extraordinary public service. She exemplifies a care for the common good of all to which we can all aspire.

“Throughout her reign she has been tireless, unflinching and unerring in her commitment to the people of Britain, and stoical in the face of personal loss. With Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, at her side, she has serenely witnessed to three generations a selfless dedication to duty.

“For the generation that emerged from the War, her Coronation provided the opportunity to come together in celebration. There was often only one house with a television set on a street, and people crowded round to watch, sharing in community with one another. And at moments like the Silver Jubilee in 1977 the Golden Jubilee in 2002, and now today, she reminds us that we are far more than just disparate individuals and communities: we are a nation with a shared sense of purpose and integrity.

“We celebrate not just The Queen’s reign, but everything that is best about our country and the values we share. The things of which we are rightly proud.

“We are a pragmatic nation, passionate about our traditions.

“We are proud of our home but open to the world.

“We are patriotic but generous of spirit.

“Positive and optimistic.

“Days like the Diamond Jubilee turn neighbours into communities where the young and the old come together in celebration.

“Showing solidarity and community in street parties and concerts all across this country.

“The Queen’s reign is a golden thread that links people across the country and across the generations: united in the respect and genuine affection for Her Majesty. And in the reverence she has inspired in people across this country, across the Commonwealth, and across the world.”

Related posts:

  1. Queen Elizabeth: Our finest public servant
  2. How I learned to stop worrying and love the Jubilee
  3. MPs who criticise the Queen should be sent to the Tower
  4. The diamond candidate has emerged
  5. If the Milibands work together, we can win the next election
  • http://twitter.com/mistyblulabour dave stone

    Ed: ““Days like the Diamond Jubilee turn neighbours into communities where the young and the old come together in celebration. Showing solidarity and community in street parties and concerts all across this country.”

    It just goes to show – every cloud has a silver lining.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ZPXYLRVP4XOIGGDJWAL6HUO7U4 David

      Sadly British weather being what it is, every silver (or diamond) lining has a cloud!

      • AlanGiles

        Very true David: 7th June 1977 was a very damp day and sadly I am old enough to be able to remember that 2nd June 1953 was equally damp and miserable. At least that is how it was in London, and what is forecast this week.

        Going by British weather trends, kit’s probably best to hold any outdoor activity in the first week of March, or the last weekend in October.

    • Amber Star

      I agree, that is very much the tone of Ed’s speech i.e. He respects that people are ‘fond’ of her & that she is head of the state of which we are citizens – but that’s about it. A very appropriate speech.

  • ThePurpleBooker

    God Save The Queen!

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

      But how do you reconcile your enthusiasm for the pomp of state (which surely must depend on a deeply entrenched state and attendant civic institutions) with the Purple Book policy of leaving the big state behind?

      • ThePurpleBooker

        I think your slightly confused. Support for our civic institutions and respect for the nation, does not require a deeply entrenched state or a big state. You are just plain wrong chatting nonsense, like usual. The monarchy can symbolise the best of Labour values. Values of loyalty, respect, dedication, responsibility, patroitism, solidarity, compassion, public service, understanding and love. It goes to the heart of the reason why Elizabeth II has been Queen for 60 years, and why our party was founded. Sure, the hereditary principle is imperfect and we would not chose it in the modern era but we cannot deny that there is no better choice than to have a public servant dedicated from birth. Long live the Queen!

        • Daniel Speight

           As a rule I do not have much sympathy for the teaching profession, but if PB is anyway typical of the kids they are teaching, I will no longer moan about their long holidays and support their earlier than most retirement.

          • AlanGiles

            Her/his teacher must have given up on teaching it grammar.

            For example in one of PBs rants just up the thread:

            “You are just plain wrong chatting nonsense, like usual. ”

            PB once claimed to be a “journalist” (well I suppose the school newspaper JUST about counts).

            I MEAN!  :-)

            When I read that I immediately thought of “Lauren” the Catherine Tate character (” face, bovvered?”)

          • treborc1

             Must be the Sun.

          • John Dore

            Usual form Alan? Instead of tackling the points the person made, you and your friends always resort to name calling, or any other form criticism that doesn’t address the points being made. Could that be because you can’t beat the argument so you go down this route?

            Now lets see if you can address the point I have made, without calling me: Guy, a Tory, whatever, or knocking my secondary modern standard of English.

          • Simon

            Faker, joker and fraud.

          • John Dore

            No Simon, you’re the one calling me names, why don’t you grow up and challenge my arguments? Or are we still at Junior school?

          • Simon

            “We have rights to equality of opportunity…”

            There is no equality of opportunity when some children are tutored privately at home, then at prep school, then at expensive private schools, like Eton (which has its own golf course), and then at Oxbridge colleges, groomed to succeed and provided with umpteen private introductions via family connections to enter various professions and given all kinds of leg-ups and hand-outs to enable them to start businesses and the rump of ordinary, unprivileged children not thus feted by an accident of birth.

            “… equality of opportunity…”

            Mentalist.

          • treborc1

             Does it matter if he is, he has you sussed.

          • John Dore

            Is this just another pathetic veiled you’re Tory post?

            He’s just another one of you lot, who have no ability to counter arguments with anything but name calling. 

            Must make you feel really big Treborc1 when you call people names.

            Tell you what lets do a deal. I’ll continue to post my opinions and you keep on calling me Tory, Guy, pick a few 4 letter expletives, whatever makes you happy.

            But do know what if you really tried and think really really hard, you might be able to come up with reasons as to why I’m wrong. Given your disability its hard but if you have the resolve you can do it. Then people wouldn’t see you as a 4 year old calling people names. Try it, see how it makes you feel.

          • John Dore

            Usual form Alan? Instead of tackling the points the person made, you and your friends always resort to name calling, or any other form criticism that doesn’t address the points being made. Could that be because you can’t beat the argument so you go down this route?

            Now lets see if you can address the point I have made, without calling me: Guy, a Tory, whatever, or knocking my secondary modern standard of English.

          • treborc1

             I’ve known that for years, you can teach some people who wish to be taught, you cannot teach and empty vessel, even a New labour tin can

        • Simon

          Oh, grow the f*ck up you retarded moron.

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

      But how do you reconcile your enthusiasm for the pomp of state (which surely must depend on a deeply entrenched state and attendant civic institutions) with the Purple Book policy of leaving the big state behind?

    • Dave Postles

      Moribund, as is a person who claims to reign ‘dei gracia’ and to be ‘fidei defensor’ (a title awarded by the Bishop of Rome). 

    • trotters1957

      God save the queen The fascist regime They made you a moron Potential H-bomb God save the queen She ain’t no human being There is no future In England’s dreaming Don’t be told what you want Don’t be told what you need There’s no future, no future, No future for you God save the queen We mean it man We love our queen God saves God save the queen ‘Cause tourists are money And our figurehead Is not what she seems Oh God save history God save your mad parade Oh Lord God have mercy All crimes are paid When there’s no future How can there be sin We’re the flowers in the dustbin We’re the poison in your human machine We’re the future, your future God save the queen We mean it man We love our queen God saves God save the queen We mean it man And there is no future In England’s dreaming No future, no future, No future for you No future, no future, No future for me No future, no future, No future for you No future, no future For you

      • TomFairfax

         That reminds me I should be watching something on iPlayer before I go out.

      • Guest

        Average song at best.

      • John Dore

        I grew up loving the pistols and that song in particular.

        John Lydon was the lead singer of the Sex Pistols, a working class boy who grew up on a Council estate in Finsbury Park. This is his view on the working classes:

        “We’re lazy, good-for-nothing bastards, absolute cop-outs [who] never accept responsibility for our own lives and that’s why we’ll always be downtrodden.” 

        This is somewhat harsh and he might have found more sympathetic language. Moreover he neglects to mention the care of those who need it. The foundation for my hate of class warriors is the leaders of the working class who preach that we are all deserving. Well we are not. We have rights to equality of opportunity, but we should be the masters of our own destiny and focussed on that. Those who work have rights, those who would rather not work but are able, what rights do they have?

        • Simon

          Mentalist.

          • John Dore

            Inspired post.

          • Simon

            Compliments are always welcome, no matter what the source.

      • PaulHalsall

        But those punks all turned out to be selfish heroin addicts, self-harmers, or worst of all culture profiteers like Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood.

    • Dale Winton

      Thank you, Duckie.

  • Daniel Speight

    I hope everyone can enjoy the holiday. I’m all for street parties and the more holidays the better.

    But please don’t discount  that there is a streak of republicanism is the very roots of the Labour Party. Those who want to are welcome to cheer the Windsors, but at its core Labour should be an anti-feudal party. Looking at those historical roots we can find the influence of the French Revolution and the English Civil War in the likes of the Chartists.

    • ThePurpleBooker

      That is not true. Labour has had a strong monarchist streak. The founders of our party were actually monarchists not republicans. It has never been Labour Party policy, not even in the 1983 suicide note, to abolish the Monarchy. Our greatest Prime Ministers were staunch monarchists ranging from Clement Atlee, Harold Wilson and Tony Blair. We are a republican party, never have been and never will be!

      • Daniel Speight

         You would do well to read some history. How far have you got to in school so far? Well wherever I will give you a little piece of recent history. (Recent history is anything that happened in my lifetime;-)

        I think this is from Barbara Castle’s autobiography, but I’m willing to be corrected. At the end of a cabinet meeting in Wilson’s 1964 government, (remember this is back when things actually got decided in cabinet meetings rather than presidential style and on a sofa), someone after a light-hearted discussion on Labour’s attitude to the monarchy called for a straw poll. Castle seemed to think that abolishing the monarchy just shaded it.

        Of course it’s not a policy Labour could run with in the immediate future as it would be fairly toxic while the present queen is still on the throne. Having said that hidden deep down in the heart of the labour movement and its mass party are some very old-fashioned ideas where the belief is all men are created equal, (do you recognise those words PB? They are of course from Jefferson, but the influence was from British radicals like Paine.)

        Now while this queen may not have put the monarchy in any danger, we do know that the Windsors are capable of pressing the self-destruct button at any time. Public opinion can changed overnight, so I wouldn’t rule out that streak of republicanism inside the party.

      • Simon

        Tony Blair?

  • ThePurpleBooker

    “One of the things that keep Britain from becoming a dictatorship is having to kneel before the Queen once a week a explain your job to her.”Harold Wilson.

    • treborc1

       was that when he had his illness

  • https://mikestallard.virtualgallery.com/ Mike Stallard

    God Save the Queen!!!!!!!

    • Dale Winton

      Thank you my love.

  • Billsilver

    And we should also congratulate The Queen for putting a constitutional face and thus legitimacy on some of the poor policies and legislation that the 2 main political parties come up with while they take turns to temporarily occupy the seat of government without a single complaint. 
    The Poll Tax (Thatcher)? Selling off the railways (Major)? Tuition fees (Blair)? Irag lies (Blair)?
    Well done EIIR!

    • treborc1

      Then again if it does not affect you or your own family why say anything, if she  needs a helicopter sure her grand sons will pop over.

      • Billsilver

        What ARE you saying Treborci?
        ‘It’? What is ‘it’?'Helicopter’? ’Grand sons’?

        • treborc1

           They seem to be able to use them for courting, or following cricket, so why not to take Mum shopping.

          Do not get me wrong I’d rather have the queen then His highness Tony Blair with letter box Lil . Or granny Thatcher, but i do think we have to many hangers on.

  • PaulHalsall

    We had a great Street Party on Monday which really brought a lot of the local estate and surrounding community together in a way we have not seen in years. The kids enjoyed it – we had a bouncy castle, face painting, stilt walkers, and fire-eaters. 

    I see nothing wrong in promoting social cohesion and great memories for the kids.The local Tenants and Residents Association (of which I am vice-chair) joined up with a the church that abuts the estate and we provided everything for free (except the face painting). There was no attempt whatsoever to push religion and we did not even push the monarchy. We did have lots of Union Jacks though, and I think what we were celebrating was ourselves and that we live in an essentially (for all its faults) decent country. 

    • Dave Postles

      Congratulations.

  • http://www.facebook.com/gary.hills1 Gary Hills

     

    There are over
    10 million people in the UK who support a Republic, and that number rises to 15
    million the moment King Charles is mentioned. Some 50% of the public did not
    engage with the Jubilee and saw it as a waste of money or irrelevant to them.
    Not that you will see these figures in the press as their biased coverage
    brings shame on all journalist for how balance was a word they no longer
    understand.

    I’m Labour
    member and I am also a member of Republic, I am proud to stand up against an
    outdated system that has held back equality, fairness and social justice in the
    UK for decades. I see no place for anyone to have a say in how our country is
    run unless they are elected. The Royals do interfere it’s just its done behind
    closed doors and we the mere public are denied knowing what they say and why. It
    is disturbing how some in Labour have ignored the key principles and equality
    and openly support Royalty?  The Queen is
    not my Queen and I do not recognise her as head of state or any Royal and never
    will. I am a citizen not a subject of the Queen. There are many within Labour
    who are like me, it’s why the leadership should be careful not to pander to the
    Royal propaganda the media and press create. Not all in society wants the
    Royals or cares for them. The Jubilee was a waste of money but also the
    celebration was not about the nation, it was about keeping privilege and a
    class divide. Given the suffering of the recession and the vile austerity the Government
    is forcing on people it was quite a disgusting spectacle. Only the other week a
    report showed 10 million people in the UK were going without food, yet instead
    of help we had pomp for people who never give anything to the public but expect
    the public to pay for everything.

    Our priorities
    are all wrong when it comes to Royalty, but luckily the Royals themselves will
    bring their own demise as when Charles becomes King, and he will because he
    will never step down for the younger ones; the attitudes of many would soon
    change. For Labour we need a language that is fair for all sides at present its
    not and it fails to connect with the 50% of the public uninterested in Royal aspects
    and as said the millions of Republicans. We are of course meant to be a
    democracy but until we have the ability to elect a head of state we will never
    be that. We are also keeping a class divide that favours the rich and powerful
    in the country to remain unchallenged. Its not an image of Britain that is
    welcome or wanted and its time we had  a
    full debate about the future of the Royals because just pretending and ignoring
    the views of millions of Republicans will achieve nothing for Labour.

     

    • Billsilver

           ” There are many within Labour who are like me” says Gary Hills.
             ”There are over 10 million people in the UK who support a Republic, and that number rises to 15 million the moment King Charles is mentioned” says Gary Hills.

      60 million people live in the UK.
      There are 7,000 members of Republic.
      That’s a clear majority and a vote winner for Labour then.

  • Pingback: Look Left – Racism at Euro 2012, the Diamond Jubilee and remembering Margaret Bondfield |

  • Pingback: Look Left – Racism at Euro 2012, the Diamond Jubilee and remembering Margaret Bondfield | Left Foot Forward

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