Miliband’s task today is to raise the morale of the base

Yesterday I suggested ten tangible things that Ed Miliband can do immediately to kickstart his leadership. None of them are a panacea, but taken together they’d constitute a significant sharpening of his operation.

Today brings what Miliband and his team are hoping will be a big and significant speech, which unfortunately breaks point seven from yesterday “too much emphasis on speeches”, but this effort was at least trailed in a preview interview with Nick Robinson and will be followed by a Facebook Q&A, so at least it’s not a standalone speech. A series of follow up interventions from the Shadow Cabinet will come in the next few days (along with some policy), and Andy Burnham was doing the media rounds praising and defending Miliband in equal measure this morning (which is the right thing to do – point three from yesterday was “get the frontbenchers to work”).

This isn’t, in other words, a “pop up, do a speech, then disappear” which is a relief.

So what’s Miliband’s speech trying to achieve today?

In particular, what about the biggest of the ten points I outlined yesterday – “What is our election strategy and messaging? Make it clear”. Well Miliband will make a start on this today, and he’s returning to the ground that Jon Cruddas covered in the policy review (namely that power lies in the wrong hands and too few hands in modern Britain) – which is the right framing for Labour’s message and the right national story to tell. It has the capacity to be both popular and populist, and it’s rooted in the traditional and powerful values of the Labour movement. Miliband’s phrasing around the “Zero-zero economy” hits the right mark in terms of homing in on what’s wrong with Britain and our economy (although I’m Labour’s opponents will lampoon the language, they can’t quibble with the underlying point).

But the key task for Miliband today is to achieve point six from my list yesterday – “raise the morale of the base”:

“It’s not just Labour MPs who are feeling down at present, it’s Labour activists and members too. There isn’t the swaggering confidence you’d hope for six months before the election, because those activists know better than anyone the challenge we face. They are the people who knock on doors and have them slammed in their faces. They know that the British people are not running towards us with open arms. They hear people attack you and say they won’t vote for us. Yet by and large they support you nonetheless. So boost their morale. Give them something to fight for. And if you’re not willing/able to give them the policy promises that’d put a spring in their step (eliminating poverty pay, building enough homes to end the housing crisis, etc etc) then you can at least remind us why we’re fighting and who the enemy is.”

Today Miliband will be talking about what the Tories have done wrong in government, who they stand for and why they must be called to account for what they’re doing to the country. Similarly he’ll be attacking UKIP (point four from yesterday – “Accept that UKIP are a problem and start dealing with them properly”) for their backwards bigotry (although the proof of the pudding when it comes to UKIP will be how we fight them on the ground as much as on the airwaves).

But Ed Miliband’s speech today has one key goal – to inspire and engage with Labour supporters, voters and activists.

Winning elections is about reaching out to people in a series of concentric circles. If you don’t inspire your supporters you have no chance of reaching and moving the country, because they won’t campaign for you, be your advocates or tell their friends, families, colleagues and neighbours about what you’re fighting for. Of late it has become clear that Miliband needs to fire up a tired and dejected Labour base – including many Labour MPs. He needs to show passion, anger and a genuine desire for change – radical change – and remind us why it’s so important to win next May.

Today he has an opportunity to do that – he needs to take it with both hands.