On Tuesday, Ed Miliband showed that Labour presents a real alternative to the damaging policies of the coalition. Sam Fawcett from Taunton Labour Party says that his critics from Right or Left can no longer claim he is a weak leader with no policies:
Ed has come out fighting with more policies than either Blair or Cameron had at this time in opposition. Miliband has promised to scrap the hated ‘bedroom tax’, which has been repeatedly attacked by charities, churches and commentators on the Left, build 200,000 houses a year, provide wraparound childcare as well a host of other policies.
And what do the Conservative party have to offer instead? Nothing but turning the poorest in society against each other whilst enriching themselves and their millionaire paymasters in the financial world. The vicious policies of the coalition have left thousands without work or enough money to get by, forcing them into the hands of payday lenders and into ever-spiralling debt, all the while claiming they are the party that rewards hard-work. Any worker in a low-paid job can see through this charade, and Ed has promised to raise the minimum wage, lifting hundreds out of poverty and desperation.
Lib Dems have consistently acted with the Tories
So what of the Lib Dems? Labour’s challenger from the centre-left in the past 10 years? In their conference last week the party voted down the Social Liberal Forum’s alternative economic policy motion and chose instead to emphatically stick with the Tories’ harsh austerity measures. The Lib Dems have consistently acted with the Tories to reduce the rights of workers and slash the wealth of the poorest, and even some of the middle class in our society, in favour of Tory economic policy. And what progressive reforms do they have to offer? Free school meals and a 5p charge on plastic bags. When faced with a choice of that and a raise in wages and the reduction of household bills, I think it is obvious what the financially hard-pressed voter will choose.
These past two weeks have made it clearer than ever. In Taunton Deane, in Somerset and the entirety of the UK, Labour are the only alternative to a ruthless neo-liberal economic policy which will take away our vital public services and slash the wealth of all but the wealthiest in society. If you want an alternative to this, voting Labour is the only way to make it happen.
We need to shout loudly and proudly in May 2014, a whole year before polling day, people forget that Alaistair Darling left in place a budget to halve the deficit by then, without as much harm as the evil coalition is doing by choice not because of need. They will not get anywhere close to that because just as we warned if you don’t get growth then the deficit will go up not down, WE WERE RIGHT
I felt like dancing with JOY after hearing Ed Millibands’
speech. It has made me want to turn up at the Branch meetings again with renewed vigour!
At last we can start to really attack this 40 year old scourge NEOLIBERALISM!