Ed Miliband Speech: Verdict

Brilliantly delivered march to the left.

At the weekend Ed Miliband was asked if he was a socialist, and he said yes with enthusiasm. I thought it was just something to say in response. Today, we see that he really means it. When he was elected leader he said that New Labour was dead. It's not just dead, it has been hung, drawn and quartered. One Notion Labour is sucking spangles, wearing flares, and singing Slade whilst setting a course for the 1970's.

Ed Miliband grew up in the treasury, but obviously learnt nothing. Firstly, there is the £800m extra bank levy. Anyone knows that due to the necessity to hold enough capital to lend, say 10% at the most optimistic, this will mean £7.2Bn will be taken out of the economy. Really great way to stifle recovery.

Secondly, the energy freeze, whilst populist, is a recipe for disaster. We need so much investment in our energy supply to provide provision for the future and keep the lights on. Why would a company invest when under price controls? They won't. It all sounds like a mini Price and Incomes policy - I thought we'd moved so far away from that nonsense.

Ed, in a long hurrah for the NHS, gave a list of achievements under the last Labour Government then said that he would reverse the market based reforms which achieved them. A fully integrated 'NHS' was mentioned, but how? Just repeal a few laws. So more re-organisation. That'll please them.

Wrap-around childcare was a good policy, but how will it be paid for? There was loose talk of reorganising priorities. For quite an expensive policy, that's some ask!

Obviously, the 'bedroom tax' was ditched, and that was all the mention of welfare reform. Apart from 'we can do better than this'.

No real mention of economic policy. Apart from 'we can do better than this'.

No direct policy about immigration. Apart from 'we can do better than this'. Oh apart from the fact that companies had to come up with an apprenticeship for an under-trained Brit. I'm not sure many companies will do this, so may be that is their immigration policy!

A real march to the left. Michael Foot would be proud. Tony Blair is probably filling in his Tory membership papers right now. Can there be a new SDP?

Anyway, until next week.

Squiffy.