The Wrong Questions

Ed Miliband had better hope that this political sketch writer from The Telegraph doesn't go into comedy in a big way because he has the Labour leader down to a 'tee' over his recent interview on the Andrew Marr show.

Generally speaking, the voters don't like waffle and the description of Ed as a 'socially inept Tony Blair' is politically very dangerous, if it begins to stick.  

Sketch: Ed Miliband, voice of the everyday working people

The Labour leader refuses to back David Cameron's plans to enable only English MPs to vote on English laws

Ed Miliband, the Leader of the Labour Party Photo: Getty Images



By Michael Deacon - The Telegraph

Good to be with you!

Now, look. If what you’re asking me is, Why am I writing this article in the style of Ed Miliband being interviewed on The Andrew Marr Show ahead of the Labour Party conference, then I’ve got to say to you: well, look. There isn’t a simple answer to that issue. But I will say this. You know, we’ve got to look at all these things. That’s why I say to you what I do. And I think that’s the right thing to do for the everyday working people of Britain, up and down this country.

Let’s be very clear about this. You’ve asked me a question. And I get that. Absolutely. But let me just make this point. If what you’re asking me is, Why do I have this habit of answering questions by asking myself a completely different question, then I’ve got to tell you: I think that’s the right thing to do.

I mean, goodness. Only last week, I was in some part of the country or other, talking to an everyday working person, and she said to me this. She said, “Ed, why don’t you go on The Andrew Marr Show and blather for 20 minutes in that vacuous way of yours, like a socially inept Tony Blair, sidestepping any awkward questions by burbling about ‘looking at all the issues’ and ‘doing change in the right way’ and ‘not learning the wrong lessons’?”

And I listened to that everyday working person, because I think that’s the right thing to do, and to her I said this. I said, “I’ve listened to what you’ve got to say, and I think you’ve made some incredibly important points. But let me just say this. I think we’ve got to look at all the issues, and do change in the right way, because otherwise, we’ll be learning the wrong lessons.”

Now, look. You’ve just asked me whether I agree that only English MPs should be able to vote on English laws, a change that would benefit the English people but undermine any future Labour government. Well, look. Let me answer like this. If what you’re asking me is, What’s the big headline-grabbing policy I’m announcing at conference this week, then it’s an increase in the minimum wage to £8 an hour. Not next year, or the year after, or the year after that, or the year after that, or the year after that. But the year after that.

And I think that’s the sort of radical, decisive change that the everyday working people of this country are crying out for.

Because look. That’s what my Labour government will be about. Ensuring X. Delivering Y. Reaching out to Z. Reforming this, that and possibly the other, depending on the economic situation we inherit. And that’s what we’re going to do. Because actually, you know, I’m listening. I’m listening to everything except the questions I’m being asked.

Good to be with you!