Labour’s problems run much deeper than Ed Miliband

JAYNE Dowle’s piece (Yorkshire Post, August 19) criticising Ed Miliband’s leadership is justified as far as it goes, but Labour’s problems run much deeper than whoever happens to be leader.

The high water mark for the party was, of course, the reforming Attlee government but unfortunately many of the reforms then accomplished have been reversed and even the jewel in the crown, the NHS, is in serious difficulties.

During the 60s and 70s, Harold Wilson achieved some good things without much revolutionary change while Blair was notable for ditching Clause Four and laying the foundations for the subsequent debacle. This was the price for Labour getting back into power.

Aneurin Bevan said that Labour was nothing if not a crusade but in the modern world there is a shortage of causes to inspire and revitalise the party. More precisely there is no enthusiasm among moderate voters who decide elections for upheavals which would change society.

Nationalisation has been thoroughly discredited and there are no obvious issues which would fire up the party and capture the interest of voters.

True, Labour has traditionally been the champion of the underprivileged but the trouble with that is that the focus groups seem to approve the welfare squeeze.

Ed Miliband is a decent man and performed creditably as a government minister but he is powerless in the circumstances, especially as the economy seems to be on the upturn.

Politicians are less and less able to control and influence events, which some of us think is not such a bad thing.

From: Mrs W Abbott, Bousworth Avenue, Kingston-upon-Hull.

WHEN asked if Ed Miliband 
has what it takes to become Prime Minister (Yorkshire Post, August 21), David Blunkett says: “He can do it.”

However, a recent poll suggests voters are disappointed with his achievements. His appointment as leader of the Labour Party surprised many people because some thought his brother David Miliband would be the successful candidate, and in my view David Miliband would have been a far more suitable choice given his broad experience as a former cabinet minister.

Ed Miliband is a marginal improvement on Gordon Brown, having said that his performance to date has not been outstanding, and on these grounds he is unlikely to lead the Labour Party to victory in the next election. Every once in a while a leader comes along who possesses the necessary qualities to become a future Prime Minister.

Winston Churchill had what it takes as did Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair and for a time they were popular with the voters. People trusted them.

Each one of the aforementioned leaders had vision, all were skilled orators together with a fierce driving ambition and determination to overcome obstacles.

They had charisma and style which is hard to define but easy to recognise. Love them or hate them the contribution these leaders made whilst in office helped to shape the country we live in today.

Ed Miliband’s advisors can send him to political charm school and give him numerous style makeovers, but regrettably in my opinion he simply does not have the qualities mentioned to make him a future Prime Minister.

The Labour Party should be looking for a replacement 
sooner rather than later to prevent sliding down the polls even further.