Who I’m backing for Labour leader: Ed Miliband

Ed Miliband knows Co-op values

By Andy Love

July 22 2010

Each day this week Co-operative News will be featuring views from political figures within the Movement on who they are backing to be the next leader of the Labour Party . . .

I’m backing Ed Miliband for Labour leader. He combines principle and pragmatism with an ability to lead the debate on renewing the party and reconnecting with the public.

Ed will unite the movement on a platform that learns from the past but looks forward to where we have to be when the current coalition finally collapses.

Ed will ask the really tough questions about the reasons why we lost the last election and what went wrong. But he will also build on all the things we did right to develop a new set of ideas for the party and the movement.

Ed is committed to maintaining the link with the trade unions. But equally he understands the importance of co-operative values for our country. As a Co-operative MP I know that he believes that co-operation has a central role to play in shaping the future direction of the Labour Party.

He understands the importance of an enabling state that empowers people to make the most of their own lives. He knows that we need the values of mutuality more than ever to help build a more cohesive society. Ed has worked closely with the Co-operative Party and drew on many of its best ideas when writing Labour’s manifesto for the 2010 General Election. He intends to continue that work if elected as Labour leader.

We need a leader who recognises that the party cannot do everything on its own. We need the link with the wider movement. We need to involve ordinary party members in a long overdue conversation about the future direction of our movement. But most of all we must make the party relevant to the needs and aspirations of those we seek to represent.

Ed Miliband is, in my view, the candidate most likely to bring that about.

• Andy Love is Labour/Co-op MP for Edmonton and former Parliamentary Officer for the Co-operative Party.

Category: Politics