Time for a New Movement

Another broken promise by Charles Kennedy and Nick Clegg

Ed Miliband has said it is time for Labour to "change the way it works" and form a new "broad movement of the mainstream" as we make an appeal for Liberal Democrat and Green supporters in Medway to join us in changing our towns for the better.

Neither the Greens or Liberal Democrats can oppose the Conservatives in Medway. Indeed, the Liberal Democrats now actively collude and support the administration as we saw in the last budget settlement for Medway.

The 'Orange' Tories can not be trusted to campaign for the most disadvantaged communities and Clegg has sold out on all his principles to achieve office.

The VAT rise, cuts to Police, train fare increases and the raising of tuition fees are only the most visible sign that the Coalition is Conservative dominated.

The Liberal Democrats are now the soft-wing of the Conservative Party. They are not a party of the centre or left.

In a speech at the Fabian society today, Mr Miliband emphasised that the Liberal Democrats had made a "tragic mistake" of signing up to the Conservatives' spending cuts. A mistake which now makes stands them on the cusp of defeat in a number of Medway seats.

Miliband told the Fabian Society that he was proud of much that Labour did in office, but that its failure to regulate the markets and, latterly, its belief that the state knew best, left it remote from the people it existed to serve. Labour made a massive strategic error in being too controlling and in thrall to a deregulated market.

"We became too technocratic and managerial,"

"But more than that: we sometimes lost sight of people as individuals and of the importance of communities. In our use of state power, too often we didn't take people with us. That is why over time people railed against the target culture, the managerialism of public service reform and overbearing government.

"At the same time, we seemed in thrall to a vision of the market that seemed to place too little importance on the values, institutions and relationships that people cherish the most."

Medway Labour has attracted a number of Liberal Democrat and Green members since May and is open to welcoming those who want to make a difference to our towns.

Labour is the only opposition to the increasingly fringe Conservative administration which is badly managing our towns. From incompetence of the Chatham regeneration to the failure to collect £4.2m of Council tax. It is one mistake after another.

If you are interested in getting more involved locally, or indeed thinking about perhaps one day representing your home area, please do contact us at Medway Labour or me directly on twitter.