Since Ed Miliband's victory in the Labour party leadership election on September 25, 2010 there has been much speculation as to what this heralds for the party. Many have cited Miliband's policies, such as the establishment of a high-pay commission, as evidence of a shift back to the left, much to the delight of trade unionists and supporters of ‘old labour’. His detractors, on the other hand, have taken this apparent move to the left as a sign of weakness over critical issues, mainly reducing the deficit.
Consequentially, depending on where it comes from, the moniker “Red Ed” could be a rallying cry or just more mudslinging.
Miliband himself, it appears, is less than happy with the tag; the lengths he is willing to go to distance himself from these comments indicate a distinct discomfort with such pigeonholing. In an interview with the Guardian’s Decca Aitkenhead, Mr Miliband did not take kindly to the mention of rumours that he was a Bennite, suggesting an uneasy relationship with left-wing politics- or at least, an unease with the mention that he forms a part of that left-wing.
It’s almost as if being part of the moderate left, previously a byword for tolerance and benevolence, has become a slur, and socialism; a dirty word. Conservative party chairman Baroness Warsi pointedly commented that Miliband owed his leadership victory to the votes of trade unionists, who still make up a large proportion of the Labour party leadership ballot.
Such comments are not only needless but also dangerous- the implication that the unions are malicious bogeymen out to bring our country to a standstill, or that a politician with union backing is weak and easily manipulated, does not do justice to a legitimate and fundamentally vital component of the political machine.
Miliband has described the accusations as “tiresome” and “nonsense”, adding that his late father, the socialist academic Ralph Miliband, would not have agreed with the assertion that he was a “lefty”. Indeed, it is difficult to see where these accusations have stemmed from at all.
Writing for The First Post, Neil Clark noted that Miliband is in opposition to the re-nationalisation of the railways, placing him further to the right than the majority of Tory supporters. Clark puts forward the idea that, due to a clutch of centre-left policies, like increased taxation for higher incomes, voters have been drawn into a "Diane Abbot can't win and Ed's the best of the rest" scenario, garnering him a begrudged support from leftists and trade unionists.
Leftist paper The Socialist Worker has also hinted that this is the case, rubbishing claims that Ed Miliband’s election signalled a shift to the left for the labour party and pointing out that just seven MPs voted for the Diane Abbott. Abbott’s campaign unfortunately failed to ignite the left of the party who instead went for a safer option in Miliband.
In the same article The Socialist Worker went on to denounce the tag of “Red Ed” as ludicrous, stating that Miliband is Labour leader “thanks to the approval of the trade unions and because many workers don’t want any more of the toxic policies of New Labour.”
Whether or not these accusations are founded or not is to some extent immaterial; it is the fact that such accusations are being made at all that is saddening. It is true to say that describing Miliband as a socialist is indicative of how far to the right the British political system has moved in recent years, but it is also true to say that the slur implied by such a description is evidence of an increased intolerance towards leftward thinking in modern politics.
Neil Clark described Miliband's reaction to the rumour that he was a Bennite to be “as if Bennism were some appalling disease”- it appears that the predominately centre-right populace of the British political system seem to think it is.
While we are a long way off a Mcarthy-esque “reds under the bed” witch-hunt, it is still fairly sad that such prejudice exists. It is difficult to form a representative political landscape when mainstream politicians are becoming increasingly similar shades of grey. It is a shame as well, that the support of trade union leaders has become a way in which to make someone appear unelectable.
Even more sad, it could be argued, is Mlliband’s reaction to the murmurs of leftism that surround him; the blatant terror that he has shown at the mere mention of such rumours give the impression of a man who feels that harbouring left wing views in mainstream politics is a one way ticket to career suicide. Such terror is symptomatic of a political system were no one dares lose the middle ground.
However, If Mr Miliband harbours even loftier ambitions for himself and his party, who could blame him for being scared?
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