Ed Miliband clearly understands how the Conservative party, despite claiming to have “changed”, is a “long way from grasping the political direction or scale” of the changes needed (Forget incremental change: the left shouldn’t be afraid of thinking big, 10 June). Up against a government that sees “levelling-up” only in terms of regional investment, and education of the disadvantaged simply as a vote-winning ploy rather than a commitment to provide equality of opportunity, Labour has not only to prioritise “big change”, but ensure all policies are based on fairness and justice. Promising a government that would never run down NHS infrastructure, underfund state schools, allow 21st-century universities to be dominated by privately educated students, cut overseas aid needlessly, or require a well-minded football star to persuade it to feed hungry children, would do for starters.
Clarity in the message, especially in view of it always being distorted by the rightwing press, is vital, as Miliband knows to his cost, so a principled version of a “Dominic Cummings” to revamp Labour’s propaganda machine might also be required.
Bernie Evans
Liverpool
• Ed Miliband rightly argues that Labour needs an ambitious and radical programme for jobs, investment, public services and a green new deal. But he does not attach any numbers to these policies, so they appear rhetorical. Neither does he mention how increased public spending will be funded. This is crucial – Labour continues to be dogged by the perception that it wants to tax ordinary people more heavily. Labour needs to set out how it would increase taxes on corporations and the super-rich. If Miliband wants a guide, he could look at the party’s 2019 manifesto, as well as Joe Biden’s current proposals.
Jamie Gough
Sheffield
• Forget incremental change: the left shouldn’t be afraid of thinking big, argues Ed Miliband. He makes the classic mistake of those who want to retain Labour as a protest movement. Britain is a fairly conservative place, with many constituencies with big conservative majorities. Labour will never gain power without swinging a sufficient number of those constituencies to its cause, however intellectually right its arguments may be. Labour politicians need to focus on power and how to attain it. Radical left policies will never achieve this. Labour needs to think smart, not think ideologically.
Malcolm Rivers
Isleworth, London
• Ed Miliband is right to propose that a future Labour government will need to be radical, but simply presenting a set of untried solutions to the people, however laudable, will not get it into power. The current politics of slogans and soundbites means the lowest common denominator gets elected – hence the current set of clowns and charlatans in government.
The party needs to engage with the public, understand what is being asked for around the environment, industry and public services, and respond in a way that those demands are being met. Policies grounded in what the public want, rather than an assumptions around what they need, will connect better with the people. Tweaking won’t do it. They must be big and radical, and we need to see them soon so that we might digest, understand and own them on our own terms.
Warren Brown
Ilkley, West Yorkshire
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