A day in the race: August 18th

By Mark Ferguson / @markfergusonuk

Another busy day in the race today, as the candidates ramp up their media presence ahead of ballot papers being distributed in two weeks time.

ED BALLS was back on the campaign trail, and his campaign released the second “Ed Balls talks” video, with the mesage that there is an alternative on the economy:

Ed also reacted to figures showing the proportion of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) has fallen in the last year, saying:

“It’s astonishing that in a recession the number of young people not in education, work or training has fallen. While there was further to go these figures show that Labour’s measures, from the youth jobs fund to the school leavers guarantee, were working.”

“When we should be boosting jobs and investing in skills to secure economic recovery and future growth, the government has instead cut 10,000 university places, ditched the youth jobs guarantee and axed 90,000 youth jobs. It’s no wonder that estimates put graduate unemployment in the future at as high as 20% due to the coalition’s reckless and ideological cuts. These are not the actions of a government that genuinely believes in social mobility.”

Balls followed this up by attacking Tory plans for welfare cuts on Sky News this afternoon, saying:

“I think the idea of ghettoising the welfare state only for the poorest would be bad for the welfare state. It actually [would] make there be less public support for a progressive approach to politics.”

Ed’s campaign chief Jim Knight also put out an email today, based around the Spectator’s labelling of Ed as “the single greatest threat to the government”. It’s an interesting approach – and in terms of recent parliamentary performances it rings true, but it’s not as straightforward as the online fundraising from Ed Miliband which has proved most successful so far.

DAVID MILIBAND today launched a campaign to expose Cameron’s “broken promise” on the winter fuel allowance. His team say that hundreds of supporters have signed up already. In an email to supporters, David said:

“You may have seen reports in the press today that Iain Duncan Smith, the Tory Work and Pensions Secretary, wants to cut winter fuel payments.”

“Before the election, when David Cameron would say anything to get elected, he denied he would ever cut winter fuel payments if he became Prime Minister. He even accused Labour of telling “lies” in suggesting that he would cut it.”

“Winter Fuel Payments, pioneered by Labour, help pensioners through the winter and fight fuel poverty. Up and down Britain, pensioners rely on this benefit to get by. The payments Labour introduced mean many pensioners can heat their homes without worrying and fretting over the energy bill to come.”

David also wrote a post for his website on the first 100 days of the coalition, saying:

“Labour’s first duty is to oppose. On risks to the economy and the NHS; and confusion on crime and the environment. But we must also be a party that is clear about its values and goals – and which develops the policies to achieve them. That means reforming the school exam system to focus on learning not just testing; rethinking the role of government in driving wealth creation though a smart industrial policy; and ensuring welfare is truly reciprocal by guaranteeing people work, and a decent wage, but standing up for a conditional system.”

Tonight David will be meeting members and non-members in Swindon and will be back in London for a Newsnight interview.

ED MILIBAND also reacted to Tory plans for benefit cuts today, specifically attacking the potential withdrawal of the free bus pass, saying:

“It is an outrage that David Cameron is thinking about taking bus passes from pensioners. You didn’t have to be able to read his lips during the general election to hear him promise that he would keep free travel and winter fuel payments for the elderly.”

Ed had a busy day of media interviews, with appearances on both the BBC News channel and Sky News this afternoon. In his interview with the BBC, Ed said that the coalition has taken us “backwards”:

“I think they’ve taken us backwards on a whole range of things. Actually, we saw an economy starting to grow quite healthily at the end of the Labour government.”

“They’ve, because of the dramatic way in which they’ve brought about cuts, I’m afraid we’re seeing growth being inhibited – even the chancellor is now admitting that we’re in for choppy times.”

ANDY BURNHAM continued his battlebus tour, and was in Kimberley to meet Mary McGuckin, the Labour candidate in tomorrow’s local by-election.

Andy was interview by Radio 4 this afternoon, and repeated many of the criticisms of New Labour made in his LabourList article yesterday. He was also asked about his support among trade unions, but denied that he was concerned by a lack of endorsements:

“I am running a grassroots campaign, I’m not seeking the support of any establishment be it the media establishment, the union establishment, even the establishment in my own party. I’m going straight to the ordinary members of the Labour Party, ordinary trade unionists up and down and the country because I believe we need to re-build Labour from the bottom up”.

DIANE ABBOTT and her agent Kelvin Hopkins MP are holding a joint meeting in Luton this evening.

Tomorrow Diane launches her tour of Scotland, heading to Glasgow to take part in a number of Scottish events including a debate on women and politics at the Scottish Trade Union Congress.

Last night Abbott appeared on Newsnight, and attacked Alan Milburn’s decision to work with the coalition.