Miliband’s vision

Its leader, Ed Miliband, made some powerful points in his speech to the party conference yesterday – but Labour’s toxic legacy from its 13 years of power and his own failure to convince as a potential Prime Minister mean the next year will make or break him.

There can be no argument that Labour needs rebranding and the Doncaster MP is at least free of much of the taint which marks many of his colleagues, but he has an uphill task to regain public trust.

His scathing attack on the “unjustified rewards” at the top of companies and the fast buck culture of the last 30 years will resonate with many workers in both private and public sectors hit by pay cuts and freezes as some bosses continue to reap huge rewards, which he successfully linked to the “something for nothing” promises of celebrity culture and the “take-what-you-can” mentality of inner-city gangs.

Many will question why Labour failed to tackle the issues he complained of during its years in office as it instead enthusiastically fuelled the reckless spending of the public sector and stood by as the financial sector over-indulged on rewards which triggered the banking crisis.

But politics is all about capturing the public mood. Tony Blair could do it, as could Margaret Thatcher.

Mr Miliband has yet to prove he has the same touch, which will be key to his fortunes as the country faces up to further troubled times.

Yesterday the Labour leader said he wanted to “write a new chapter” in Britain’s history as he offered the nation his vision. He will soon find out if he will get to make his mark – or whether he will only be a footnote.