A day in the race: September 3rd

By Mark Ferguson / @markfergusonuk

Another low key in the leadership race today as the campaigns concentrate on the behind the scenes work of getting out the vote, and the ghost of Blair continues to haunt the front (and comment) pages of the papers.

ED BALLS was in Wales this afternoon meeting Labour and union members in Llanelli and Swansea. He was in Cardiff earlier today campaigning with CWU members to Keep the Post Public. Tomorrow he will be at an event held by the British Stammering Association in London, before going on to campaign in Brighton and meet members in Norwich ahead of the Sky News leadership debate in the city on Sunday morning.

Ed’s interview with LabourList was published today, in which we discussed a range of issues, including his relationship with the Tory press, which has been picked up by the Guardian. Ed said:

“The reason the Daily Mail calls me ‘an extreme leftwing socialist zealot’ is because they don’t like the fact that I make the case against some of the things the Conservatives support.”

“I can say the Tories and the papers have tried to knock me down and they’ve failed. The others haven’t been tested yet in that arena.”

Appearing on the Today Programme this morning, Ed said cutting the deficit the way the coalition intends to do is “profoundly dangerous and very risky”:

“If you try to cut the deficit hard and fast this year and next – the biggest attempt by far to reduce the deficit since the Second World War – the danger is that you put jobs and growth at risk, you send us back to slower growth, even to a double dip recession, you make things worse not better. That’s the lesson of history.”

Ed also released plans today to provide a “right to work” building on the jobs guarantee. Ed said:

“We need to do more to boost jobs, promote growth and get the economy moving again. That’s why this week I have called for 100,000 more affordable homes to be built to tackle the housing shortage and create hundreds of thousands of private sector jobs. And it’s why I am saying we should do more to boost jobs in our economy.”

“Building on the jobs guarantee for all those unemployed for more than two years that Yvette Cooper developed for Labour’s manifesto and the youth jobs guarantee the Tories are abolishing, I am calling for real jobs for people after 18 months unemployment.”

“I believe nobody should be left on the dole for years at a time. We saw what damage it did in the 1980s and 1990s. It costs us all more in the long-term. Everyone who can work has a responsibility to do so. I support stronger responsibilities to take a reasonable job offer, but this is meaningless if there’s no work for people to go to.”

“That’s why I’m saying we should create 200,000 jobs and work placements for people out of work for over 18 months, through the Future Jobs Fund, paid internships and work placements in the voluntary and private sector. This will mean a right to a job for those unemployed for over 18 months and the responsibility and requirement to take it. Over time the right to work should be extended from 18 months to 12 months unemployment.”

DAVID MILIBAND‘s campaign today released polling YouGov polling that suggests that David Miliband is the “choice of voters to be Labour’s next Leader”. The poll shows David has a 28% lead over other candidates as ‘best alternative PM to Cameron.

He was also as celebrating a couple of sporting endorsements today, as he was backed by Steve Cram (former world record holder at 1500 and 2000m and more importantly – Sunderland fan) and former athlete Allison Curbishley. In a statement on David’s website they said:

“We are delighted to endorse David Miliband for the next leader of the Labour Party. As supporters of the Labour Party we believe David has the experience, the new ideas and the gravitas to lead the Labour Party back into power.”

“We know what it takes to win a race and we think that David is the candidate to not just win this one but to carry on winning for the Labour Party in the future.”

ED MILIBAND‘s was in Shrewsbury and Telford today for member meeting, before heading to Burton-on-Trent to appear on Any Questions.

In a blog for his website this afternoon, Ed attacked the government on green issues.

Ed also picked up endorsements today from Tribune Magazine and Compass.

This evening his campaign released their own polling from YouGov, which the Guardian has reported, saying:

“A survey for YouGov found that 72% of undecided voters said they would be less likely to vote Labour at the next election if the new leader adopts the New Labour philosophy advocated by the former Prime Minister (Blair) this week as he was promoting his memoirs.”

No doubt this poll, and the one released by David, will be pored over tomorrow. It’s unclear if one poll is any more relevant than the other. Perhaps in the end the only winner from all of this polling will be YouGov…

DIANE ABBOTT has conducted a range of interviews today, including one with politics.co.uk, where she covered a range of issues including her vision for reclaiming the civil liberties agenda, and appealing to Labour’s lost voters. Diane said:

“It’s a phoney choice, saying Labour leaders have to choose between middle class voters and voters in the industrial north,” she answers. “We lost support across all groups. It didn’t just happen at the last general election. A lot of it was to do with economic issues. I think a lot of people on the door step were talking about immigration, but they talked about it as a proxy for other things – the lack of houses, job insecurity, the increase in agency workers. People talked about immigration but it’s these underlying issues that need tackling.”

Abbott also answered a range of questions for the Yoosk hustings, and is at the Camden hustings this evening.

ANDY BURNHAM was at the Camden hustings this evening, after doing a webchat this afternoon.

Tomorrow Andy will be trying to claim the mantle of the Iron Man of this contest. At 9am he’s will be taking part in the Great North Swim for charity before heading to Anfield for Jamie Carragher’s testimonial match in the afternoon (no small feat for an Evertonian). From there, Andy heads to Nottingham where he will join the other candidates at a hustings meeting in the evening. He will finally rest his weary head in Norwich, ready for the Sky News hustings on Sunday morning. A long day all round. I hope they’ve still got that battle bus…