Inside the Labour Party: three key questions
Are Labour members convinced that their party could win and how do they rate their leader? Channel 4 News puts three key questions to delegates at the Labour Party conference.
The Labour Party has spent the last two years in recovery from a controversial leader contest and an election defeat. Not only has the party been accused of failing to offer an alternative to government, but the unlikely leader Ed Miliband, at least until yesterday’s speech, has struggled to be taken seriously.
But away from the media speculation and the political soap operas between the Big Three parties, what is the mood music from inside the party? Channel 4 News has been to the conference hall, to the fringes and the Manchester coffee shops to find out how Labour members feel about their party’s future
Emily Benn, from south London (Granddaughter of Tony Benn)
1. How would you score Ed Miliband out of ten?
Seven and a half . He’s doing very well, but I don’t think he’s sealed the deal yet. I still don’t know if other people are giving him the chance he deserves, and we still need to work on that.
2. What does Labour need to do to win the next election?
For start, we need to make people think that our policies are relevant to their lives. The world is completely different from the last election and people need to see that we’re riding the crest of a wave.
3. Who is your favourite Labour politician?
Jim Murphy, shadow defence secretary. If you hear him speak, you are completely captivated by what he said. He’s genuinely very good
Abu Sultan, from Bedford
1. How would you score Ed Miliband out of ten?
7 and a half. He’s not there yet, but he’s been proving himself gradually. He went against his brother and people outside were hoping for some kind of implosion, but he didn’t allow that to happen. I think that’s the sign of a leader.
2. What does Labour need to do to win the next election?
We need to reach out to everybody. What Labour did wrong in the past was not tackle the big issues, like immigration. The clarity should be there on where it stands on issues.
3. Who is your favourite Labour politician?
Sadiq Khan, MP for Tooting, because of the way he approached the media, the way he supported Ed Miliband and unified the rest of the party after Ed won.
Vicki Pite, from Enfield, north London
1. How would you score Ed Miliband out of ten?
I would give him an eight, because I think he’s doing very well. I think he was the right choice, even though I didn’t vote for him. We’ve never had this amount of unity after defeat – or ever.
2. What does Labour need to do to win the next election?
It’s very difficult to separate my own views from that of the media. But I would say, carry on being calm and determined, not being buffeted by the view points of the media. In terms of policy, I think we need to be more creative about taxation.
3. Who’s your favourite Labour politician?
Peter Hain. He was very active in campaigning against apartheid when I was a student, and I think he’s had more impact than most other Labour politicians at the moment. He’s a distinguished elder statesman.
Peter Davies, from Saffordshire
1. How would you score Ed Miliband out of ten?
Nine. I think he’s quietly effective. In some respects, he could be a little bit more vociferous. But the important thing is that he has the right policies behind him and he doesn’t have the baggage that his brother did.
2. What does Labour need to do to win the next election?
We need to jog people’s memories about what the last labour government initiated that was of great benefit. People too often take for granted what they did. I do realise that we’ve made mistakes, but not as great as the mistakes in the last two years.
3. Who’s your favourite Labour politician?
Ed Miliband. With one caveat – when he speaks, he uses the word fantastic too often. I don’t he really means that when he says it.
1. How many marks out of 10 would you give Ed Miliband?
Eight and rising, which is much higher than I would have given him in the past. I think he’s just finding himself a lot more, he’s getting much clearer about what he stands for.
2. What does Labour need to do to win the next election?
There’s no doubt that the economy is the biggest priority. Labour needs to have a very clear plan on how to deal with that. The next half of this parliament is about shaping our policy so that people do know that there is a good, solid alternative.
3. Who’s your favourite Labour politician?
Kate Green. She’s my local MP and also the shadow minister for equalities. She’s very passionate about what she does, and she’s not that sort of career politician.
