Miliband (almost) rules out an EU referendum – now he must start ruling things in

Ed Miliband will confirm this morning what has long been  assumed – he will not pledge an EU referendum. In an op-ed for the FT(£) published today, Miliband states that Labour’s position on Europe is “clear”. That’s evidently a matter of opinion, as the pre-briefing around his speech has led the Mirror to claim Miliband is pledging a referendum, whilst the FT claims that he isn’t. The FT are largely right on this one. Miliband has no intention of going into the next election with an EU referendum (and the potential loss of Britain’s biggest market) hanging over his head as he tries to steer through parlous financial waters.

That’s a sensible position to have, but it’s not an easy one to articulate. Whilst Cameron has a position that’s easy to articulate, but which is not in any way sensible.

Unlike David Cameron, Miliband doesn’t need to promise a referendum on poorly defined terms – after an unclear and ill-defined renegotiation – as an extreme form of party management.

And as those close to Miliband are keen to point out, Europe isn’t anywhere near the top issue for the electorate, ranking well below priorities like jobs, pay, pensions, the economy, welfare and immigration. An EU referendum, they would argue, is an answer to a question the Tory Right are asking, but the public aren’t.

On that score, I can see the logic, but I can’t pretend I’m not slightly disappointed.

I think an EU referendum, at some point in the future, is inevitable. I think that Europe as it’s currently managed has a profound democratic deficit that will gnaw away at its credibility with the British public. I generally think that giving the public a say – and trusting them to make big decisions – is the hallmark of sound government (I don’t buy the idea that referenda are a “device for despots” unless someone has a gun to your head). So with all that on the table, I’d like to think that one day (when the global financial situation isn’t so parlous and our economy isn’t so under strain) Labour will pledge to have a debate and a referendum on Britain’s position in Europe, and not just – as Miliband is proposing – if more powers are transferred to Europe (too much unaccountable power resides there already, actually).

But do I want Labour’s first two years of government post-2015 to be snarled up by rows over Europe?

No.

I want them to be spent fixing the NHS, getting young people into work, building homes and kicking the likes of ATOS out of government contracts.

And whilst there was a window of opportunity for Miliband to call Cameron’s bluff and push for a 2015 EU referendum vote, that chance was not taken, and calling for an EU referendum now would look like Miliband was playing catch-up with Cameron.

So for those reasons, I think Miliband is doing the right thing today. And today’s speech is evidently a big one – it’s leading on the BBC website, was the top story on the Today Programme this morning and hit the front pages of the papers.

But lets get real for a moment – “We’re ruling out an EU referendum except in the case of a shift in the balance of powers resulting from a  treaty change” is not going to be on Labour’s pledge card in 2015. Ruling things out is all well and good, but Miliband needs to start ruling more things in.

Monday’s announcement that the compulsory jobs guarantee (an under-rated and potentially transformative step not he road to full employment) is funded for all five years of the next Parliament was a good start. But Labour can, and must, be bolder in terms of devolving power and money to local communities (of which we’ve seen little in the way of tangible examples). Labour can, and must, be bolder in solving Britain’s housing crisis (one million homes built in the next parliament as a bare minimum). And Labour can, and must, have a more radical offer on a better health service, and a better deal for those in care.

Enough ruling things out Ed. Next time you make a big speech, lets rule some things in. The election is only 14 months away after all.