Ed Miliband has met with senior civil servants to discuss what his main policy priorities would be if Labour win next May – but a spokesperson told The Sun (£) that the opportunity to set out their agenda wasn’t going to make them complacent: “We are taking nothing for granted. Our sole focus is on winning the General Election.”
The three major priorities Miliband outlined as the first policies his Government would like to implement were: freezing energy prices, raising the minimum wage and saving the NHS.
It is usual for prospective prime ministers and their staff (in this case, we understand Charlie Falconer and Tim Livesey have also attended) to have meetings with governmental civil servants so that Whitehall can prepare for a smooth transition. Having aides in the meetings will also help with a transition from opposition to government.
After a lacklustre conference, and consternation over some of Labour’s new policies (such as the child benefit freeze), it will surely come as good news to activists that Miliband is planning on putting a series of his more popular pledges at the forefront of his plan for power.
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