Ed Miliband Broadcast

A very personal homily from Ed Miliband in the latest Labour PEB. Contrast the normality of Ed Miliband's Comprehensive and state school background with the elitist and top public-school background of the current elite managing the Tory Party.

From an election broadcast perspective it was heavy on character reference and light on content. Given we have another broadcast later in the month this may focus more on how Labour is delivering in communities up and down the Country.

The message locally is that a new generation of Labour activists is poised to shake the foundations of local government which has been managed by a tired Tory elite for too long.

We need a a more dynamic force in local government and it is Labour which represents that change that our community so desperately, and it is desperately, desires. A candidate under 35 in every target seat represents a massive generational shift and a change for the better in May.

The nomination list today highlight the Tories have not chosen to reform. The same old faces have been selected again.

Too many incompetent decisions, too many useless Tory Councillors and too much money squandered on pet programmes which have simply frittered public money

The simple fact is that the Tories do not represent low Council tax. Labour created the unitary authority in the 1990s and cut the number of Councillors from the 80s to 55. We reduced the tiers of local government and introduced Medway Council with the lowest tax in Kent. They inherited low Council Tax.

The simple fact is the Tories have cut £23.5 out of public services which you cherish. The numbers are not in dispute and either is the impact,

The Tories will not protect your heritage or your community. They have a record of selling off land to the highest bidder, and have spent the last three years demolising our heritage for cheap land grabs.

The Tories will not offer choice in education. The grammar school system, which was abolished elsewhere, will remain. We have amongst the worst Primary School results in the Country, schools with a revolving door of teachers, and the Academies teetering on the edge. Education is so important but Tories are focused on the wrong priorities and have been for years. We get poor results for a reason; and that reason is strategic management.

It angers people to see people fritter the inheritance bequethed to them, to mismanage project after project, to arrogantly opine financial probity and honour when we have accusation after accusation in the press.

It simply beggars belief to see them talk about the Freedom Pass they opposed, to talk about Free Swimming they cut, to talk about probity in finance when they purchased the Medway Tunnel, to talk about financial management when they demolished the Civic Centre, to talk about small business when they have decimated trade in Chatham highstreet.

There is a day of reckoning in May.

Labour needs to do a lot more to expose this lot and they need to do it soon.