Against a backdrop of further downward revisions to growth forecasts Labour leader Ed Miliband – working closely in sync with his Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls – gave a speech entirely free of any specific policy commitments or costings but in which he promised to recast the mould of British society and end what he called the “something for nothing culture”.
His speech included an ephemeral pledge that if Labour were to find itself in government tomorrow, it would reduce university fees by a third to £6,000 a year – doubling what they were when Labour were in power just 18 months ago – but this did not mean it would be a manifesto commitment.
Mr Miliband even went so far as to say that he might not be able to reverse many of the current Government’s cuts.
The speech, aimed at the wider pubic as much as the party faithful, appeared to do the job he hoped it would with many Labour delegates at least – several of whom arrived feeling a year in to his leadership they had yet to get the true measure of the man.
But further afield Mr Miliband’s personal opinion poll ratings remained sluggish.
In eschewing his own so-called Clause IV moment – by picking an unnecessary fight with the unions, for instance – he successfully steered clear of the kind of destructive polarisation that has marred many past conferences. And his audience enjoyed the targets he did attack: David Cameron, George Osborne, Boris Johnson and Fred Goodwin.
Not only did he apologise for Labour’s past spending, he also disowned the decision to give the former RBS chief a knighthood.
He said he would offer a “new bargain” to the people of Britain to end the “ fast buck” culture of the past 30 years and reshape society so that hard work and responsibility are rewarded.
He attacked “ unjustified rewards” at the top of companies, asset-stripping “predators” in business and bankers who profited despite their costly mistakes. He promised that a Labour government would use tax breaks, regulation and contracts to reward firms which contribute to their community, including by providing apprenticeships. Quite how he would do this was for another day.
He criticised the welfare system and said he would ensure that it pays to work and end the “ rigged market” which allows energy companies to charge ever-higher prices.
A Miliband-led government would rebalance Britain’s economy away from the reliance on financial services and towards production and manufacturing.
“ I’m not Tony Blair. I’m not Gordon Brown either… I’m my own man and I’m going to do things my own way”, he told delegates.
