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One Nation Ed - Has He Grabbed it Away From the Tories Forever?

Posted: 02/10/2012 15:40

No notes, no autocue - today in Manchester we got the 'real' Ed not Red Ed.

A Labour leader evoking Disraeli? Wow!

In one of the most powerful party conference speeches in recent years - Ed Miliband reminded me of the powerful oratory David Cameron employed in 2005 and 2007 to grab the British publics attention.

The Twitterati seemed genuinely approving in the early minutes of the speech - and kept on approving.

But Ed did something more important today than just making a great speech. He made a land grab for 'One Nation' politics - again and again and again.

What was the traditional narrative of the Tory party in the post war era - One Nation Toryism Miliband shamelessly went after.

The sense of social solidarity which One Nation Toryism conveyed has been lost in the modern era by the centre right.

MIliband depicted the immense patriotism of an immigrant family story to stir up the party faithful in the hall. But today he did much more than that - he brought to life a political creed that the Tory party may have cast aside.

He went beyond the amorphous 'fairness' so loved of the left and put a coherent philosohy together. It is just that philosophy has been owned elsewhere before.

He didn't do geek - he spoke in ways which will connect outside the party faithful - in a way many of us thought he could not do.

Its not often you are surprised by a party conference speech. Today I genuinely was.

Prime Minister - over to you next week. Will you grab One Nationism back to its Disraelian home?

David - it's your choice.

 

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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
fandabidozi
10:35 AM on 10/03/2012
Well they have lost my vote following Liam Byrne's pronouncements.
07:37 AM on 10/03/2012
Wolf on Sheep's Clothing Ed Miliband and his brother are No Different when in office Ed exploited his position for personal advantage! so don't try to fool us with one nation!

The good thing sadly for a sad news story FEW of us watched Miliband's speech, he is the worst communicator in politics along with Balls! so it would Not have interested Many!

Labour will not accept they are the cause of our current crisis, it was they who Robbed my personal pension No Wonder so many now are not interested in politics at all!
06:41 AM on 10/03/2012
Under this mob its the rich and the rest who pay for the rich! People need to note that for the last 2/3 months the Office for budgets has said they have INCREASED the deficeit by spending more! How much longer will they blame the last lot? They have been in office over 2 years and are we seeing change? That will be a No then! Also note another "U" turn regarding the west coast main line bid as it is found to be "Flawed" or was it on independant closer inspection found to be Corrupt?
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
jacksdad41
Quant Je Puis
06:18 PM on 10/02/2012
The value of investments and any income will fluctuate (this may partly be the result of exchange rate fluctuations) and investors may not get back the full amount invested.

Where Iain Anderson has expressed opinions, they are based on current market conditions and are subject to change without notice. These opinions may differ from those of Invesco Perpetual investment professionals

Nuff said
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Richie2012
Your micro bio is empty.
05:36 PM on 10/02/2012
One nation - together - equal - man and woman of every colour, and of every social class, everybody - BANKRUPT!
07:56 AM on 10/03/2012
Tory dogma, rich tax dodgers in clover everybody else on the bread line!
05:25 PM on 10/02/2012
The trouble is with the Tories is that however hard they try to rebrand themselves as the party of the ordinary citizen,the more vocal the braying rich public school educated denizens of the right wing of the party get. They should realise these guys,who stand on a moderate Conservative manifesto each time,then later cause trouble,make the party increasingly unelectable. Cameron should dump a few of them. Maybe they can go and bray for UKIP or something.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Edgar H
Keep the Press free!
05:10 PM on 10/02/2012
Wiil he also follow in Disreali'[s imperialist footsteps? Blair was every inch the colonialist without the speech.