Scottish Labour unveils its socialist vision

On a grey blustery morning there was a warm reception for Ed Miliband as he appeared on stage in Edinburgh’s International Conference Centre to address the Scottish Labour Party’s special one day conference.

With sixty days until polling, activists would be looking for substance to carry onto doorsteps in every community the length of the country.

On this occasion the Labour leader did not disappoint – this was a confident impassioned and polished performance from Miliband.

He offered a vision for Britain very different from the five years of austerity rule from the Con/Lib coalition and he spelled out just what these differences were with great clarity in the kind of simple direct language door knocking volunteers need.

The minimum wage will be raised to more than £8 per hour.

Zero hour contracts will be banned.

Energy bills will be frozen until 2017.

The basic state pension will be raised and a Labour government will stand up to energy companies that rip off elderly people.

A mansion tax will fund more doctors, nurses and care workers in every part of the United Kingdom, including 1000 new nurses in Scotland; the cherished NHS will be protected by a Labour government.

Income tax will be progressive to help 2.4 million lower and middle income earners. This is the sort of social democratic redistributive policy that strikes a chord with anyone who believes the eradication of inequality matters. It’s the Labour Party’s bread and butter and it was a timely reaffirmation of the core beliefs of the Party.

A Labour government would set about abolishing the House of Lords to be replaced with a democratic Senate; a change this nation craves and needs in order to dismantle the inequalities imbedded in a legislature based on hereditary traditions. More of this Labour radicalism is good ammunition when engaging with voters.

This was a comprehensive brilliantly delivered speech offering a vision based on sharing across the whole of the United Kingdom and giving back to people a sense of hope for the future. This was a speech that could inspire Labour activists to go out and campaign hard over the coming two months.  “Ed Miliband was assured and sounded like a Prime Minister”, said Anas Sarwar MP. The audience agreed and the man charged with the task of leading the next Labour government left the hall to a rapturous standing ovation, a fitting comment on his sincerity and the continued attention he gives to Scotland.

Activists on the doorstep would appreciate having a simple A4 briefing paper with all the points Ed Miliband covered, clearly stated, before venturing out each time.

Jim Murphy in his first speech to the Scottish Conference as leader set about expanding on a highly personal and thoughtful account of his socialist values and it was all the more powerful for that. There were strong passages on Labour’s plans for education, house building, child benefits, pensions, new social security arrangements and a devolved Welfare State. Anne McTaggart MSP thought the speech “inspirational, and aspirational with loads of good ideas about hopes and dreams”.

Murphy’s line that “if we don’t stand up to Tory austerity, no one else will” was a stark reminder of the fundamental need for the Labour Party and their Trades Union partners. When he spoke of education, in an echo of Harold Wilson, it was with an ambition that there would be no rest until every school pupil achieves their best and full potential. Here was a Labour leader speaking with his heart in his mouth. No one would be left behind.

But this was a conference which also heard powerful rousing efforts from Bill Butler of Glasgow’s Anniesland and Davie Hamilton MP, both well received.

The open stage discussion with ordinary members was a nice touch, giving the opportunity to hear at first hand the challenges of living on low wages – the good news is the Labour Party under Ed Miliband can do something about this.

The conference was in awe as Gordon Aikman movingly said, “how we care in our hour of need is a benchmark of our society”. He should know having contracted Motor Neuron Disease at the age of twenty nine. Gordon tirelessly campaigns for more research into MND and Ed Miliband is the first leader to commit to doubling research funding into this killer illness. Now that’s what the Labour Party is all about if it’s about anything.

Not a single delegate in the gathering was under any illusion about the mother of all battles that lies ahead but this was a conference packed with energy, ideas and passion.

The Labour Party’s socialist vision was clear; the foot soldiers are ready and up for the task ahead.