Ed Miliband has just given his final party conference speech before the general election, pledging to hit tax avoiders, tobacco firms and and "mansion" owners in order to be pay for a £2.5 billion NHS recruitment drive.
The speech was widely panned by commentators on Twitter, with Independent columnist Steve Richards calling it "poorly structured". "All the stories about people he has met should have hit cutting floor," he added.
Times columnist Tim Montgomerie said it was a "totally dishonest speech", concluding: "Labour Party unprepared for power. Necessary cuts would tear it apart if it wins."
The Spectator's political editor James Forsyth said that the speech "needed tightening", adding that it would have been "a lot better if it hadn’t been for Scotland absorbing all Labour’s energies in past month."
How did the Labour leader's speech go down with his colleagues and fellow Labourites? Unsurprisingly rather well. HuffPostUK asked seven of them for their verdicts.
Reactions to Ed Miliband's Labour Conference Speech 2014
Dan Jarvis (01 of07)
Open Image ModalShadow justice minister Dan Jarvis said Miliband's speech was "refreshing" as he "sketched out a vision over the longer term". He added: "I think that's the right way to proceed and I hope the public will see it that way."Asked if Miliband was sufficiently "clear", he said: "Speeches like this will not be judged in the hall but on the TV and radio when people around the country listen and look at it tonight." "It's incredibly important that we communicate with the public in a way they understand and Ed did that today. "In the end the public will be able to make a judgement in a clear choice between David Cameron and Ed Miliband." (credit:Christopher Furlong via Getty Images)
Len McCluskey(02 of07)
Open Image ModalMcCluskey, head of the Unite Union, a major Labour donor, said Miliband's speech was "visionary" and he looked "like a prime minister." He added: "These are difficult times that we're in and it's one thing sloganizing and another to give a measured approach. The message was one of: I'm on your side."
Luciana Berger (03 of07)
Open Image ModalThe shadow health minister said she was "delighted" by the speech, adding:"People are struggling to get GP appointments and there are 1 million extra people in A&E.""Talking about an integrated health service, bringing together mental health, physical health and social care is really significant, and showing how we're going to increase the number of healthcare workers and transform our health service." (credit:PA/PA Archive)
John Denham (04 of07)
Open Image ModalFormer Labour cabinet minister John Denham praised Miliband's "very good" speech, saying: "I really liked the way he combined values - like the togetherness idea - with some very practical areas like acting around apprenticeships, the self-employed and the NHS."
John McTernan (05 of07)
Open Image ModalMcTernan, former adviser to Tony Blair, said: "No-one is in any doubt about the direction Ed Miliband is going.""He stuck it to the Tories - 'you're for the rich, we're for the NHS'. It's something for the doorstep."
Jon Cruddas (06 of07)
Open Image ModalCruddas, who heads Labour's policy review, said Miliband delivered a "big visionary nation-building speech".
Chris Bryant (07 of07)
Open Image ModalThe shadow work and pensions minister said Miliband's speech was "very good".