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Labour lost touch with public and members - Ed Miliband Labour lost touch with public and members - Ed Miliband
(about 6 hours later)
Labour leader Ed Miliband is to admit his party's leadership lost touch both with its own members and the public.Labour leader Ed Miliband is to admit his party's leadership lost touch both with its own members and the public.
In a speech in Wrexham to his national policy forum, he will propose reforms aimed at making the party less insular and its decision-making more open.In a speech in Wrexham to his national policy forum, he will propose reforms aimed at making the party less insular and its decision-making more open.
He will say the last Labour government did not listen to concerns over issues like immigration and housing benefits.He will say the last Labour government did not listen to concerns over issues like immigration and housing benefits.
The Tories say Labour ignores the way its leader is elected. They criticise the trade unions' role in that process. Mr Miliband is also expected to defend plans to scrap elections for the shadow cabinet, despite backbench opposition.
In his speech to party activists and trade unionists, Mr Miliband is expected to unveil a series of proposals.In his speech to party activists and trade unionists, Mr Miliband is expected to unveil a series of proposals.
Its annual conference will be opened up to campaign groups and charities - who will be allowed to speak from the floor in debates although they will not get to vote on policies.Its annual conference will be opened up to campaign groups and charities - who will be allowed to speak from the floor in debates although they will not get to vote on policies.
Local Labour parties will be allowed to organise petitions on issues which they feel ought to be debated at national level, and if they can demonstrate enough support, those issues will be placed on the agenda at future meetings of the policy forum.Local Labour parties will be allowed to organise petitions on issues which they feel ought to be debated at national level, and if they can demonstrate enough support, those issues will be placed on the agenda at future meetings of the policy forum.
There will also be a new code of conduct for the party's candidates and politicians to ensure they meet voters regularly and are transparent about their expenses.There will also be a new code of conduct for the party's candidates and politicians to ensure they meet voters regularly and are transparent about their expenses.
And following on from an idea trialled in Oxford and Birmingham, local parties across the UK will get extra resources if they sign up more supporters.And following on from an idea trialled in Oxford and Birmingham, local parties across the UK will get extra resources if they sign up more supporters.
Looking outwardsLooking outwards
Mr Miliband is also expected to cite the decision under Prime Minister Gordon Brown to abolish the 10p starting rate of income tax, which saw millions of low earners lose out.Mr Miliband is also expected to cite the decision under Prime Minister Gordon Brown to abolish the 10p starting rate of income tax, which saw millions of low earners lose out.
In his speech Mr Miliband is expected to say: "'Old Labour forgot about the public. New Labour forgot about the party.In his speech Mr Miliband is expected to say: "'Old Labour forgot about the public. New Labour forgot about the party.
"And, by the time we left office, we had lost touch with both.'"And, by the time we left office, we had lost touch with both.'
Turning to the policies of the last Labour government, he will say: "We went from six people making decisions in a smoke-filled committee room to six people making the decisions from a sofa in Whitehall. Sometimes less than six.Turning to the policies of the last Labour government, he will say: "We went from six people making decisions in a smoke-filled committee room to six people making the decisions from a sofa in Whitehall. Sometimes less than six.
"But the party was trying to tell us what the people wanted us to know. They were telling us about immigration, about housing benefits and about the 10p tax. We didn't listen.""But the party was trying to tell us what the people wanted us to know. They were telling us about immigration, about housing benefits and about the 10p tax. We didn't listen."
Backbench criticism
He will go on to defend plans to scrap elections to the shadow cabinet. The move to take sole responsibility for frontbench appointments has been criticised by some backbench MPs who feel they will be distanced from the party's top team.He will go on to defend plans to scrap elections to the shadow cabinet. The move to take sole responsibility for frontbench appointments has been criticised by some backbench MPs who feel they will be distanced from the party's top team.
Mr Miliband will say shadow cabinet elections sees the party "look inwards not outwards". Jeremy Corbyn, MP for Islington North, said the current system was more likely to produce a "balanced" shadow cabinet.
He told the BBC: "The number of women in the shadow cabinet needs to increase, in my view, and Harriet Harman was proposing that 50% of the shadow cabinet should be women.
"I thought Ed Miliband agreed with that so unless he is going to do that by patronage, it is an issue that is going to, presumably, be swept aside."
But Mr Miliband will say shadow cabinet elections sees the party "look inwards not outwards".
"I want us to be an alternative government," he will say. "The only election members of the shadow cabinet should be worrying about is the general election.""I want us to be an alternative government," he will say. "The only election members of the shadow cabinet should be worrying about is the general election."
BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said it is understood that Mr Miliband does not intend to address the party's leadership rules highlighted by the Conservatives, which allowed him to be elected with the help of union votes, despite more party members favouring his brother, David. Dai Havard, the Merthyr Tydfil MP, wrote to his party leader opposing the plan to change shadow cabinet selection and described an e-mail from Mr Miliband in reply as "something of an insult".
Mr Havard said the abolition of shadow cabinet elections was "the winding back of the internal democracy of the Parliamentary party" and he told Mr Miliband his analysis was "flawed" and his "perceived solutions and actions wrong".
BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said it is understood Mr Miliband does not intend to address the party's leadership rules highlighted by the Conservatives, which allowed him to be elected with the help of union votes, despite more party members favouring his brother, David.
He has already said these will be revised as part of a series of changes which will go to the party's autumn conference, under the banner Refounding Labour.He has already said these will be revised as part of a series of changes which will go to the party's autumn conference, under the banner Refounding Labour.