Miliband aims to win voters’ trust

The leader of the Opposition claimed the public’s trust of politicians has been gradually eroded throughout the passing decades as he spoke in the city where Labour suffered a humbling defeat earlier this year.

The MP for Doncaster North was in Bradford on Saturday to address the Labour Party’s Yorkshire and Humber regional conference, which celebrated its 70th anniversary this year.

The West Yorkshire city was the scene of Labour’s disastrous defeat to Respect’s George Galloway, who won the Bradford West by-election in March.

Mr Miliband pointed to the poor turn-out in the local elections in May when two-thirds of people did not vote as a clear indication of the growing disillusionment with politicians.

He claimed the public’s trust in politics has been damaged by a series of scandals, such as the revelations in the Leveson inquiry about the close links between Rupert Murdoch’s media empire and senior MPs.

Mr Miliband said: “We have to learn from the lessons of the past and we need to restore trust in politics. It (the erosion of trust) has been happening for decades, and many people do not think politics is for them. They don’t think it makes a difference, and they think all politicians break their promises.

“All politicians have to learn the lessons from the recent local elections. The turn-out was lower than it has been for decades, and people are cynical about politics.

“But I do believe that if we campaign on issues the community wants, if we deliver change for that community, we will succeed.”

Mr Miliband claimed Labour will re-engage with the electorate only by “making promises we can keep” and highlighted the need to pursue campaigns such as the fight to save the children’s heart centre at Leeds General Infirmary.

He admitted specific groups such as Muslim women and young people faced with long-term unemployment would need to be persuaded that Labour presented a viable proposition for the future.

In his attempt to woo ethnic minorities back to Labour, Mr Miliband spoke to the Bradford Muslim Women’s Council on Saturday after he had been at his party’s regional conference.

During his earlier speech to the conference, he said: “When you knock on doors, you will all have heard it: ‘You’re all the same. It won’t make any difference to me. I don’t vote – ever.’

“When I hear that it pains me. People died for the right to vote. People are still dying for the right to vote. But so many people in Britain don’t think voting changes anything. That is not going to change by itself. We must be the ones to change that.”

Mr Miliband acknowledged his party had suffered a humiliating defeat to Mr Galloway in March’s by-election, when a 5,000 Labour majority was transformed into a 10,000 majority for Respect.

Labour was again hit by the surge in popularity for Respect in Bradford during the local elections in May. Bradford Council’s Labour leader Ian Greenwood lost his Little Horton seat, which he had held for more than 17 years. Respect’s Alyas Karmani was declared the winner by just 17 votes after the fourth count.

The Yorkshire Post revealed last month that an internal party report said Labour had “massively under-estimated” the threat from Mr Galloway and Respect at the Bradford West by-election.