Ed Miliband will today commit Labour to tough action on those at the top and bottom who are not "showing responsibility" and "shirking their duty".
Ed Miliband will today commit Labour to tough action on those at the top and bottom who are not “showing responsibility” and “shirking their duty”.
In a speech this lunchtime, he will make clear his intention to change major planks of policy, on responsibility, high pay and welfare – committing Labour to acting to restore the link between high pay and what individuals are contributing to shareholders and the economy, through greater transparency and greater accountability.
He will say:
“For too many people at the last election, we were seen as the party that represented these two types of people. Those at the top and the bottom who were not showing responsibility and were shirking their duty to each other.
“From bankers who caused the global financial crisis to some of those on benefits who were abusing the system because they could work – but didn’t. Labour, a party founded by hard working people for hard working people, was seen by some – however unfairly – as the party of those ripping off our society.
“New Labour did a lot to change the fabric of the country. But it didn’t do enough to change the ethic of Britain. My party must change… We were intensely relaxed about what happened at the top. No more. We will be a party that supports the real boardroom accountability that rewards wealth creation not failure.
“It is said we cared too little about responsibility at the bottom of society. No more. We will be a party that rewards contribution, not worklessness.”
On that point, on welfare and responsibility at the bottom, he will add:
“So we need responsibility at the top of society, but we also need it at the bottom. Again, the principle should be one that rewards contribution. We are facing a challenge to the belief in our welfare state – founded on principles of solidarity and compassion, but now tarred with the brush of unfairness and irresponsibility. If we want to protect and improve the British welfare state, we must reform it so it genuinely embodies responsibility and contribution as much as need.
“One area where people’s sense of fairness is under threat is social housing. In Manchester, as well as helping the most vulnerable families and disabled people with housing, they prioritise households who are giving something back to their communities – making a contribution – for example, people who work for or run local voluntary organisations and those who are working.
“They also look to reward people who have been good tenants in the past and who have paid their rent on time and never been involved in any Anti Social Behaviour. The London Borough of Newham is looking at something similar – prioritising work when allocating social housing and for example helping first those who give something back by, say, fostering children in need
“In their words they are ‘finding ways to end the race to the bottom where improving your situation and finding work are punished by getting pushed down the waiting list for a quality home’; these approaches mean that rather than looking solely at need, priority is also given to those who contribute – who give something back. It’s fairer and it also encourages the kind of responsible behaviour which makes our communities stronger, makes them work.
“They are just examples, but they show the kind of change we need. We are looking at all these issues in our policy review, but this is a simple way of rewarding people who do the right thing and it’s something I’d like to see done right across the country.”
We will have further analysis of Mr Miliband’s speech and his pledges on high pay later.
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30 Responses to “Miliband calls for social responsibility at the top and bottom”
Ed's Talking Balls
The Brownite faction still running Labour (into the ground) seems to be trying to run away from its past while not having really changed.
The problem, almost insurmountable in the south of England, is that Labour is still seen as the party that let the bankers run riot while presiding over a gross benefits culture. For all his talk about a ‘squeezed middle’, Ed Miliband and his fellow sons of Brown don’t care a jot for them.
Anon E Mouse
Mason Dixon, Autistic – What’s wrong with trying to deter benefit fraud?
The money being defrauded doesn’t belong to politicians you know….
Mason Dixon, Autistic
It’s been pointed out enough times before Mouse and I mentioned it in the very post you are responding to, if you couldn’t be arsed reading just as you couldn’t be arsed reading the DWP Pricing Proposal for the Work Programme I posted in the Welfare to Work thread, then what’s the point repeating it?
Anon E Mouse
Mason Dixon, Autistic – I thought the topic here was about Ed Miliband?
What’s wrong with trying to deter benefit fraud? The money being defrauded doesn’t belong to politicians you know….
Leon Wolfson
“Anon” – Because the sums are small on a relative basis, and static as a percentage of the bill. People who should be reciving benefits are routinely deprived them because of inflexible rules and errors not of their making.
The system in the UK kicks you, hard, for temporary worklessness. I’d hoped that Labour were moving away from that, but no, and this has massive negative effects. This directly reflects on mobility of the workforce: look at the Nordic countries, where people are able to move between jobs easily, and don’t need to fear short periods of unemployment.
That also means employers can feel free to get rid of underperforming staff. Which is also beneficial. But…with the current UK system, I’m going to protest making it easier *because* the system kicks you so hard (and will kick even harder in the years to come)