Tonight’s fringe event for Movement for Change was meant to be all about David Miliband.
And he was the main attraction, no doubt.
But as one person, remarked afterwards, it felt like people understood what the community organising group was really about for the first time.
It also felt like Miliband had found a great fit - an ability to lead without being seen as a challenge to brother Ed.
Miliband told the room: “We are a political party but we don’t spend much time talking about politics – real politics….
“If we are serious about a shift in power, we can’t rely on electing a government to do it.”
Jacket off, trousers still ever-so-slightly too high, Miliband continued: “Across the industrialised world there has never been more cynicism, never been more distrust of the state. Community organising is there to break down the barriers that exist between governors and government. If we become a sectional party we will never be elected to government.
“We are not on our own in the problems that we’ve got. Five European governments are on the centre-left out of 27. Two of them are Spain and Greece.”
Miliband remained loyal to Ed in his speech, often using his brother’s lead to illustrate a point.
“After every election defeat we form a circular firing squad and start shooting each other. This time we haven’t. Ed’s allowed people to disagree with each other without being disagreeable.
“I’ve found a real sense of inspiration in M4C,” he told the packed room.
“We discuss issues, not lines to take. We are interested in releasing energy, not press releases"
He also used the platform to launch an attack on the current government, describing it as “shocking”.
“Three IMF downgrades in one year is shocking,” Miliband said.
"The most expensive universities in Europe is shocking. Half of all disabled children losing benefits is shocking. The car crash of NHS reforms is shocking. 7,000 cancer sufferers having their employment benefits cut is shocking – I think Ed was right to raise that at PMQs…. But outrage doesn’t get you from opposition into government…
“Now, how do we get into government? A lot of people are saying, ‘We need new policy.’… But I also think he [Ed] is right to say that more policy on its own will sort this out.
“Normal politics isn’t going to respond to this abnormal situation. We need to redefine how we operate as a national party. Party membership across the nation is less than one per cent of the nation. Just flogging the old way isn’t enough.
“M4C is about sustaining us as a political movement. It’s about making sure we get elected. But it’s about how we govern if we are elected. The Tories basically believe in a ‘do it yourself Britain’. Our version is a ‘do it together Britain’. We often fall into the trap of looking like ‘we’ll do it for you Britain’.”
Chuka Ummuna, also on the M4C panel, brought the discussion round to how community organising works with the big society.
“This big society business,” said Chuka, “Ok, we’ve got to engage with this. We can’t just dismiss it as a cover for Tory cuts. We’ve had big society in our borough forever. [But] their [Conservative] context is about taking government out of your hair, we see government more benignly – to work as an enabler a friend in partnership to produce better outcomes.”
David Miliband agreed: “Should we be taking on the big society? Too damn right we should take on the big society. We are all here because we want to put Ed into Downing Street… we want to put our country on the right track.
“[If we get this right] we won’t be a sectional party, we’ll be a national party that talks for the whole country. The prize of getting this politics right is very, very significant indeed.”
David Miliband finished to a standing ovation.
It looked like he enjoyed himself tonight.
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