is preparing to exacerbate tensions both within the Lib Dems and between them and their Tory governing coalition partners.
Amid competing pressures within his own party over Labour’s future direction, Mr Miliband’s main theme is to be the importance of widening its appeal and involvement into a new coalition against conservatism, although he will refrain from using Tory Blair’s phrase precisely.
Underlining his controversial call for unions to open up their three million party-affiliated members to direct access and engagement in Labour and his proposal to create non-paying,
non-member “supporters” with rights
of voting over policy and leadership elections, Mr Miliband will also argue that there are many other political activists, in single issue groups or other parties, who could be persuaded to Labour’s cause.
Intensive, behind-the-scenes talks have been taking place with MPs and union leaders seeking to head Mr Miliband away from party reforms which would weaken the traditional Labour-union link and lead to paying members asking why they should be a member when they would get similar rights without having to pay.
Mr Miliband’s overture to Liberal Democrat members to defect – while not referring to the party by name – will also lead to fears that Lib Dems will be given a say in policy formation and the choice of party leader.
“This will not be a watering down of Labour but a strengthening through wider participation, engagement and political appeal,” said one insider.
The strategy is being evolved at a time when the coalition Government faces increasing strains over the timing for implementation of banking reforms which critics say fall far short of what is required and have been pitched into the long grass of 2019.
Tensions are also mounting over the effect of the proposed constituency boundary changes for the next election, under which the Lib Dems are to lose 10 seats in England, compared to the Tories’ six and Labour’s 14.
The abolition of an overall total of 50 seats is estimated to save the Exchequer just £12 million a year.
Mr Miliband is facing his own troubles at the forthcoming Labour Party conference in Liverpool, where he will face rival “manifestos” from the left and right over the direction of party policy in what both sides see as a
year of drift at the top of the party, barring a successful performance over the Rupert Murdoch scandal in early summer.
The Tories are also expected to exploit at their conference in Manchester the revelations of economic and bitter personal in the recently-published recollections of former Chancellor Alistair Darling
