Ed Miliband and the Problem with Policy Wonks
Johann Hari has an interesting post up talking about Ed Miliband’s communication problems. I’d agree that Ed Miliband certainly has a communication problem: when I hear him speak, I feel like I am being lectured by an indignant potato. But Hari’s point is a little more sophisticated than that. He argues that Miliband’s language is the problem. Put simply, the language Miliband uses is that of a policy wonk.
Which is true. Miliband doesn’t seem to get that a big part of being a leader is being able to capture people’s imagination. You need to communicate in such a way as to make your point in a simply, clear and coherent way. And you also need to make people believe that you are on their side. Sounding like a pedantic politico is not going to do that.
See, for all of his evil, that was Blair’s genius. Particularly as Leader of the Opposition, he was able to sketch Nu Labour’s largely empty vision using simple, catchy phrases. “Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime” resonates in a way that nothing Miliband has said thus far resonates. It may have been utter bollocks, but people remembered it. Whereas I honestly cannot remember a single thing Miliband has said. Sure, there is the danger of drifting into spin, but a little bit of spin is essential to modern politics. It is only if it becomes the dominant component of your politics that you have a problem.
But will Miliband accept that he has a communication problem? And if he does, will he be able change? I doubt it. And this is a big problem Labour has got. Its current leadership class are all former policy wonks parachuted into safe seats (even if, in the case of Ed Balls, they’ve done a great deal to change that) and promoted beyond their abilities and level of experience. They are leaders; they don’t even appear to be effective managers. Sure, there’s a place for the likes of Miliband and, I suppose, Balls. But it isn’t at the head of the party, and it certainly isn’t spelling out the vision of that party. They need a new Nye Bevan; unfortunately, their current leadership class has the charisma of Clement Attlee without the humility.
And this is Labour’s tragedy, really. At a time when there is a need to spell out a socialist alternative to the Coalition’s policies, they’ve got Ed Miliband – a nervy policy wonk who sounds like he is constantly constipated. And that may yet prove to be the very thing that gives Cameron a second term in office.
Labels: Balls, Blair, Miliband Minor
posted by The Nameless Libertarian @ 10:44 am
8 Comments
8 Comments:
He wasn't elected leader for his ability to communicate with the wider world but because he can communicate with his paymasters, the unions. Labour is going through one of those periods, like the early 80s, where it confuses its own opinions and those of its die hard supporters with those of the wider public.
The Tories had a similar period after the 97 election.
I suppose its to do with confidence, having just lost you really don't want to go out talking to people who will tell you a few home truths. Talking to your friends allows you to rebuild confidence and self belief, no matter how deluded. and reassures your core base.
I saw that. If people don't understand what are fairly uncomplicated terms, shouldn't politicians try to improve the education system so that they can rather than dumbing down what they say in response to ignorance?
The fact is that when a policy is boiled down to soundbites something is always lost. What usually happens is that generalisations are made about a point of view. A former workmate of mine, if I said I thought X, would often say "I'd have thought you were Y". That's because she had simplified my views to on or two sentences, forming a totally inaccurate view in her head.
That is what would actually happen if Hari's advice were followed, never mind the caveats that he tries to put in.
Miliband is simply typical of the calibre of domestic politician we have now, i.e. pathetic. Not surprising when our system of government has been comprehensively debased. Why would anyone with real talent, drive and personality waste their life in the sad charade at Westminster? The real action is to be found elsewhere.
Anyway, fuck Miliband. What puzzles me in the piece is this: "At a time when there is a need to spell out a socialist alternative to the Coalition's policies" ... ??? Is there such a need? Socialism is everywhere; it balefully permeates every molecule of local, national and supranational government. The Coalition is itself certifiably socialist: what socialist alternative is required?
@DC's forehead: politicians should absolutely not "try to improve the education system" - their constant fucking around with education is precisely what has brought it to its current pitiful state.
I know what you mean, DCF, but I think there is a distinction between the ideal and the real here. In an ideal world, people would have the education and the time to hold politicians to account properly for their behaviour, views and policies. A statement such as "education, education, education" would be rightly rejected as largely meaningless. It would earn the retort of "where's the beef?", to quote Walter Mondale.
Unfortunately, we do not live in an ideal world; spin and soundbites are the order of the day. And if Miliband Minor wants to succeed (and I'm not much fussed whether he does or not) he needs to understand that, and act on it.
It is one of the most depressing factors about modern politics, IMHO - the level at which the discourse takes place. But it will take someone with much more eloquence, conviction and credibility than Miliband to change that. In the meantime, the creatures of spin like Blair and Cameron will be triumphant.
And Bandit 1 - yes, I do think there is a need for a socialist alternative to the Coalition. Something a bit more meaningful that Miliband Minor's line of "we'd cut as well, but we'd be more nice about it". There should also be a liberal alternative to the Coalition as well, though, since they are becoming more and more statist by the day.
TNL
So what if there IS a valid socialist alternative to all the cuts, (despite it being the fault of socialism's spend now worry later dogma). There isn't going to be another election for 3 probably 4 years - nothing they say is going to have any significance until the next election. Our politics is based around 4 or 5 year cycles - they're not going to come up with any alternative which takes longer than that, and if they somehow found some way to do it, telling the opposition would be suicide.
"When I hear him speak, I feel like I am being lectured by an indignant potato."
Quote of the week, surely?
I'm trying to imagine what a credible "socialist alternative" would look like. If it involved more spending or hammering the rich it would only make our current difficulties worse. If it depended on nationalisation or central planning it wouldn't work. If it gave more power to the unions it would take us back to the 1970s.
The only alternative I can think of that might be workable and could be called "socialist" would be a radical decentralisation of power, intended to put as much economic and political power in the hands of ordinary people as possible. But I can't imagine many senior Labour politicians being willing to reduce the size and power of the state, and I certainly can't imagine the unions accepting it.
So I don't see that Miliband can do anything other than abandon any attempt at a grand vision and simply concentrate on nibbling away at the government's support through small tactical victories.
JonP - the fact that the next General Election may be four years away is no reason for the Labour party not to come up with a genuine socialist alternative. After all, something more radical than "we'd do the same, but more slowly and with more regret" might take more than an eight General Election campaign to communicate effectively to the voters.
Andrew - a socialist alternative could simply be one that looks credible to the left. Therefore, taxing more to spend more could be considered a credible socialist alternative for some. As it stands, though, I'd be inclined to agree with you. There is no credible socialist alternative that still resides in the realm of the realistic given Labour's paymasters and core support.
TNL
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