Together we can make change happen – LabourSpace.com

By Ed Miliband

More than any other time in my political lifetime, I am conscious that the future is not yet written. The economic downturn is affecting millions of people. But eventually the storm clouds will pass. At this point the Labour Party must be ready with a vision of the kind of society we want to see.

As the Labour Party’s Manifesto Co-ordinator I will ensure that our vision is reflective of the differing needs of the British people. In the last ten years I know that as a party we have delivered real help to people from all walks of life.

But how many parents regret that they missed their kids’ upbringing because they still feel they couldn’t leave work?

How many of us know older people, our parents, our grandparents, our neighbours who are leading longer lives, who are worried about being isolated and the costs and burdens of being cared for?

How many of us know young people who don’t have their voice heard and feel that society has nothing to offer them?

The politics and the institutions we build must speak to their lives. We’ve made real progress in these areas, but there is more to be done.

That’s why today I am launching Labourspace.com – the Labour Party’s campaign social networking site. I hope it will provide a unique home for organisations and people to host and promote their campaigns – and to bring their ideas to the attention of Labour ministers and the wider Party.

The idea behind Labourspace.com is really simple. You get your own webpage within the Labourspace network where you can tell us why you think Labour should be implementing your campaign ideas.

I will be regularly checking out the site which I expect will become a lively forum for discussion and debate. I hope people will use it to let us know what their priorities are for a better, fairer Britain under Labour in the future.

Labourspace.com opens up a dialogue on the internet precisely designed to stimulate ideas on how Labour can build on the progress we have made. Between now and our next manifesto it will be canvassing the best ideas, and, I hope, fostering a two way dialogue between you and me.

So log on, post your ideas, talk to me and let’s build a manifesto that speaks to lives of people throughout this country. Together we can make change happen.