Ed Miliband needs to stop trying so hard

Not across the board, that would be silly. But definitely when he is on TV.

I’m sure I’m not the first person to have noticed that in recent weeks Ed has rather taken to moving his hands lots. It was one of things that struck me during this weeks PMQs and again on Friday when he visited Feltham and Heston. Paul Waugh tweeted as much and Joey Jones pointed this out over a month ago when Ed gave his speech to the Social Market Foundation. Andrew Sparrow also picked this up in The Guardian’s Politics Live Blog where he wrote:

“But first I need to mention to mention Miliband’s hand movement, which seem to be attracting more interest on Twitter than anything else in the speech. The subject also dominated Sky’s instant verdict. As Miliband delivered his speech, he was really laying it on thick with the hand gestures. Like a semaphore operator on speed. Or a signer for the deaf trying to turn up the volume.”

As all of these responses to Ed’s hand movements suggest there is a fine line between using a technique that is over the top when effected in-situ, but that transmits rather well when viewed on television. I would suggest that it is overwhelmingly the former.

It has been widely reported that Ed has had media training, which to me seems pretty unsurprising and rather expected for a frontbench politician- I would be surprised if any of the Shadow Cabinet haven’t received advice. However I distinctly remember Adam Boulton repeatedly asking Ed whether he had received any form of media training during an interview following his party conference speech. Ed, of course denied this, but it was all too obvious to see that he was lying and was uncomfortable about the accusation he was a poor media performer.

There can be no doubt that Ed’s media appearances have presented a host of unwanted problems. He forgot Ken Mackintosh’s name when asked by the BBC to name the Scottish Labour leader candidates and suffered ridicule for another infamous interview he gave to the BBC about the strikes.

The pressure of the 24 hour news cycle has made it a daily task for advisers to decide what ‘narrative’ they need to create around an event [irrespective of the question], in the hope that said soundbite is used on the 10 o’clock news. Of course on this occasion and during another more recent incident when John Denham was seen to be mouthing Ed’s questions during PMQs this was achieved, so I guess to a certain extent any criticism levied is unfair.

I’m always given to citing Orwell’s essay ‘Politics and the English Language’ on such occasions, who wrote that mindless political orthodoxy was demanding a lifeless, imitative style:

“a curious feeling that one is not watching a live human being but some kind of dummy… who has gone some distance toward turning himself into a machine. The appropriate noises are coming out of his larynx, but his brain is not involved, as it would be if he were choosing his words for himself.”

Anyway, my point is that Ed clearly has a strategy to deal with his media appearances it’s just that I don’t think it’s very good.

On the back of arguably Ed’s toughest week since becoming leader I have to say I was pleased that Labour List didn’t join the ranks of pointless incendiary criticism of Ed- even in the comments section. Mark wrote a useful blog about PMQs and Sunny Hundal also suggested some improvements that Ed should take on board over the Christmas recess. I also tried to contribute to the debate- putting forward what I hope is a measured take on Ed’s circumstances in response to Sunny’s blog.

One of Ed’s celebrated qualities is that he ‘speaks human’, it just seems to me that recently he hasn’t been doing this- whether it be media training or lack thereof, or indeed personal shortfalls like a lack of preparation or nervousness.

We know that David Cameron has employed a ‘full bladder technique’ and that Nick Clegg took himself for walks in the countryside before the TV debates. Our politicians may come in for ridicule because of these odd techniques, but if they work then I’m all for it.

I wrote earlier in the week that Ed’s has got his tactics wrong, particularly at PMQs when he competes with Cameron on Cameron’s terms when in actual fact he should be doing more to portray himself in contrast to Cameron- humble, polite, non-sexist and intelligent- Ed’s strengths and conversely Cameron’s weaknesses.

Upon further reflection of the criticism Ed has received this week I would go further and suggest that rather than tackle the criticism from the political class head-on by raising his voice or increased gesticulation as evidenced this week, he should attempt to transmit an air of cool around himself- by speaking a little slower and more quietly- emitting a quiet aloof confidence if you will. There is no need to explicitly spell this out like IDS- Ed is no ‘quiet man’ and he certainly shouldn’t be underestimated, but he does need to recognise that he doesn’t have the quick wit of David Cameron, the oratory skills of Douglas Alexander nor the slick delivery of Chuka Umunna.

No politician is infallible, just like any other person and I think that most people recognise and accept this- nay even expect it. Ed’s goofiness is a positive trait in comparison to Nick Clegg, David Cameron and the other identical PPE-bots in Westminster, he should make use of this, show a little humility and dare I say it laugh at himself once in a while.

There is no doubt the country is passing through some serious times and this clearly requires some serious politics. But most importantly, for me, living on The Left is about optimism, a desire and pursuit for a better, kinder, fairer and more honest and more democratic way to live. The most simple way to spell out these precepts is to smile, Ed.