A day in the race: September 1st

By Mark Ferguson / @markfergusonuk

A massive day in the leadership contest today, as ballot papers begin to drop on doormats across the country, the candidates face each other in a live televised debate on Channel 4, and someone called Tony Blair has released a book that may be of some interest…

DAVID MILIBAND received a significant endorsement today, as the Daily Mirror backed him on their front page. The paper said:

“We believe he has the intellect, talent and experience to take on the Tories – and eventually become PM.”

“And we urge all those with a vote in the contest to rally behind him.”

“Backing Mr Miliband has not been an easy decision. All five candidates have something to offer.”

“But all Labour supporters agree on onething: the party must reconnect with the people. The Mirror firmlybelieves David Miliband is the man to steer Labour to this recovery.”

This afternoon, David Miliband’s campaign released a video from Sir Patrick Stewart (best known as Star Trek’s Captain Picard):

David Miliband also emailed supporters to follow up on his “Movement for Change” speech at the weekend, and ask supporters to contact five friends:

“Bank Holiday Monday was a milestone in my ‘Movement for Change’ – a huge rally of the hundreds of people who have been trained in the skills of community organising, coming together to share testimonies of their experiences and the action they’ve taken to make change in their local communities.”

“I asked everyone present to contact just 5 fellow members of the Party to ask them to support me in the leadership contest so the Movement for Change can continue. With ballot papers now being sent out, I’m emailing you to ask if you can do the same.”

After attending hustings tonight, David will be at an LGBT for David Miliband event.

ED MILIBAND‘s campaign today unleashed a flurry of online activity, building on the “call for change” events last night, with an email to supporters and an accompanying video. The email said:

“This campaign has always been about change – about changing our Labour Party, moving on from the mistakes of the past, and remaking our movement as the new force in British politics. That’s why I’m so proud and humbled that last night, hundreds of volunteers joined a massive call for change – making thousands of calls to Labour Party, trade union and affiliated society members and urging them to vote.”

The accompanying video features Sadiq Khan, as well as a speech from Ed supporter Neil Kinnock (who is becoming increasingly prominent as the campaign moves into its final stages):

Neil and Glenys Kinnock played an even more significant role for Ed today, emailing all Labour members on his behalf, saying:

“For the Labour Party, getting the right combination of relevance and radicalism is essential. It’s also vital to our task of making the broad and convincing appeal to voters that is crucial for victories at the next General Election and the local, Welsh and Scottish and European Parliament contests that will come before then.”

“Ed Miliband is the candidate who is most ready and most able to get that mixture of realism and new thinking.”

Last (but by no means least) emails were sent to both GMB and Unite members from their respective General Secretaries today urging support for Ed as their chosen candidate. Ed has a unique advantage in terms of reaching trade union members – and it’s this final third of the electoral college that is the most unpredictable, and provides the younger Miliband with some real institutional advantages.

What is interesting about Ed’s online campaign is the way in which they break up their email messaging, and target different groups/lists with different emails and messaging – alongside the effort they’re putting into getting out the vote through phone banks, this could pay a real dividend when the final votes are tallied.

DIANE ABBOTT has had a busy day today. This morning she was on 5 Live, before interviews on BBC news and ITN this afternoon, responding to Tony Blair’s book.

Abbott blasted Blair today, accusing him of ‘poisonous jibes aimed at derailing Labour Leadership contest’ and sought to distance herself from the episode. Diane said:

“I regret that Tony Blair could not wait a decent interval before knifing Gordon Brown. They were both great servants of the party. But this bitter personal animosity poisoned the last days of the Labour project.”

“I disagreed profoundly with Tony Blair over Iraq but I had credited him with more dignity in retirement than this.”

“I want to distance myself and our party from this nonsense and call on my fellow leadership candidates to do the same.”

Diane also contacted party members by text today urging them to tune in to tonight’s Channel 4 news debate, saying:

“Let’s leave the Blair/Brown years behind. Watch Channel 4 News tonight at 7pm and see why I am the only real change candidate, Diane. www.diane4leader.co.uk“

Abbott also ruled out any naming a second preference, saying:

“Many people have asked me to state which of the other candidates I am backing as my second preference. They are all very good candidates, and would all make good leaders of the Party. But this contest is still wide open. Too many people have written this off as a two horse race. I think there will be some surprises when the results are announced at the end of the month. I believe I am the best candidate for the job, so it would be wrong to back anyone else.”

She was also interviewed by website “The Third Estate” today, and laid out her vision for the Labour Party, saying:

“I want to build on the best of the New Labour years, but I am the only candidate offering a fresh vision for the party.”

Tomorrow, Diane will make a keynote address at Policy Exchange, in which she will critique David Cameron’s ‘Big Society’ and speak about how Labour can strengthen civic society.

ANDY BURNHAM attacked Tony Blair today over the timing of his memoirs, saying:

“I have huge respect for Tony Blair and everything he achieved for Labour. But I am saddened that he has chosen this day of all days to publish his book. As ballot papers land, Labour should be looking to the future. Instead, senior figures in our party are re-running the battles of the past through this leadership campaign.”

Speaking to the BBC later, Burnham said that New Labour had been “frightened from its own shadow”:

“I disagree with Tony Blair when he says we couldn’t even move one millimetre away [from New Labour] because I think he has failed to see how New Labour became seen as hollow and disconnected from ordinary people.”

“My critique is that New Labour was at time frightened from its own shadow, they were unable to bring forward big, bold reforms for fear of what some of the right wing newspapers might do.”

Andy has also released a video today to co-incide with the start of voting in the leadership contest:

ED BALLS rounded on Michael Gove once again today, as it was revealed that only thirty two new “academies” will be opened this year. Balls said:

“This is a further embarrassment for Michael Gove. After claiming over 1000 schools had applied to become Academies and railroading his emergency legislation through Parliament, it now turns out only a tiny fraction of that number are opening for the start of the new term. It seems to me that the real reason for the rush was to avoid proper scrutiny for a deeply flawed piece of legislation.”

“Let’s be clear that the only similarity between Labour’s Academies policy and Michael Gove’s is that they have the same name. Our Academies were part of a progressive education policy to give new ethos, leadership and investment to under-performing schools, often in disadvantaged areas, and I’m pleased to see a further 64 Labour Academies which I approved opening this term.”

“Michael Gove’s complete perversion of our Academies policy is a recipe for a two-tier education system and we will continue to oppose it.”

Today Ed’s campaign also released a video of him at his campaign office, getting on the phones with volunteers: