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| For someone variously described as indecisive and weak, Ed Miliband doesn't half have a ruthless side. The Labour leader took on his own brother for the top post and won. He came out against Rupert Murdoch when the Westminster village still considered him infallible. And he's shown himself to have quite the ruthless side when it comes to shuffling senior Labour bods off the political coil. But still he is viewed by the media and the public as a nervy boffin, incapable of making the tough calls demanded by leadership. Every so often he does something radical and risky, like steal the 'one nation' mantra from the Tories, and then everyone acts stunned for a moment before forgetting it ever happened. Well he did it again this week, but the ramifications of his action this time could, without hyperbole, change the nature of British party politics. Trapped in an increasingly nasty union funding row after some alleged Unite shabbiness in Falkirk, Miliband tried to get on the front foot with a keynote speech on party funding. The advance briefing was impressive. He would move from an opt-out system to an opt-in system for union members and set up a closed primary for the London mayoral candidate selection. Once he started the speech he went further still, laying down a gauntlet for David Cameron with demands for reform of MPs' second jobs and a cap on party funding. The ramifications of the opt-in decision are vast. As union leaders were quick to point out, it would mean probably as few as ten per cent of trade unionists would remain members. That admittance, while we're on the subject, was itself an implicit admission of how democratically illegitimate the existing system was. Miliband is staring into the financial abyss. As the head of an indebted party, he has now cut off its main funding stream. His only chance at surviving the task he has set himself is to make the party a more attractive prospect for ordinary workers. Perhaps that might involve more populist politics – of the left and right wing variety. Or a new semi-membership scheme that involves a small fee but limited powers to choose leaders. Or he could be truly radical and bring back votes on policy at party conference. It is telling that the idea of giving party members a vote on things is so unthinkable for the big two parties that it barely warrants a mention. Either way, Miliband knows that his only way of getting the members he needs in is to change the way the party functions. If he is successful – and it's a big if – the Tories will be severely on the backfoot. The party is unlikely to accept a £5,000 cap on donations because it is so reliant on wealthy individuals and corporations for its funding. But its demand that union donations be included in a cap as one person are unlikely to hold if Miliband manages to embed an opt-in system. Cameron is also opposing Miliband's demands for MPs not to take on second jobs once in Westminster and to not have any roles which pay more than their parliamentary strategy. Neither of these position will be popular with the public. It's a rare sight – Miliband on the popular side of a political dividing line – but somehow he's clambered into place. Admittedly, there were pitchforks on the other side, but credit where it's due. If the PM needed a little reminder of the public's scepticism about Westminster politics, he needed to look no further than the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa), which was going out of its way to give politicians a bad name. The body, which was set up after the expenses scandal to put the salary system on an independent footing, decided MPs deserved a massive 11% pay rise to about £75,000. All the MPs on radio and TV were quite against the move, which was somewhat different to their group pronouncement when surveyed anonymously. The public, which, because of its good sense, wouldn't know an Ipsa if it smacked them in the face, will only take home the 11% figure. It was another PR disaster for MPs. It will be even worse if it passes. Either way, Miliband's speech offered the prospect of big things to come – fundamental changes to the way Westminster does business. The gamble is unlikely to pay off. He is more likely to come a cropper than a saint. But you had to admire him for trying. Best of news...Boris' confession: The challenge of being a clown Boris Johnson has opened up about the stresses and strains of being perceived as a funny man. 'B******ed By Bercow': Anti-Speaker club plans parliamentary protest A group of Tory MPs are reportedly planning to attend the last PMQs before recess wearing badges that read 'BBB': 'B******ed By Bercow'. 'Stupid woman!' Hague under fire for 'sexist' PMQs jibe William Hague has revived accusations of Tory sexism by calling a Labour MP a "stupid woman" during prime minister's questions. It's official: The rich are getting poorer and inequality is falling The gap between the rich and the poor is falling due to changes in taxes and benefits, official figures have revealed. 'Are you hiding something?' Threats from Westminster after 71-year-old's video outrage Anger is growing in Westminster as a local authority continues to drag its feet and prevent its council meetings from being filmed. Revealed: The financial cost of Theresa May's immigration policy The UK will lose £850 million over ten years as a result of new visa restrictions on foreign spouses of British citizens, new research suggests. Cheer up: It's better than you think The public are hugely prejudiced against good news and grossly overestimate the rate of crime, immigration and teenage pregnancy in Britain, major new research shows. May considers pulling out of ECHR after Qatada's legal bill tops £430k Britain could withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights altogether following the deportation of Abu Qatada, Theresa May has told MPs. 'Bit naff': Salmond loses his sheen over Wimbledon photobomb Alex Salmond's reputation as a consummate politician took something of a battering yesterday, after the online world reacted to his efforts to politicise Andy Murray's Wimbledon win. Best of Comment and AnalysisWATCH: The re-imaging of Sandy Row Thousands of still images tell the story of a week when the local community and artist Ross Wilson painted over a paramilitary gunman and replaced it with 'A Portrait of a King' - a mural of King William III. The glory of smoking The tyranny of the health lobby masks one vital truth: smoking is marvellous Comment: The generals of the First World War were heroes, not fools The 'lions led by donkeys' consensus about the First World War bears little resemblance to the reality of the conflict. PMQs verdict: Battered and bruised, but Miliband's winning the long game Miliband's announcement of reforms to party funding wasn't enough to defend him against Cameron, but he's in the right place to win the long game. Comment: Miliband's great gamble will fail either way Ed Miliband's move to shake up the trade unions' relationship with Labour looks to be simultaneously his strongest and weakest moment as party leader. WATCH: Jack Straw & Dominic Raab on prisoner voting Jack Straw and Dominic Raab tackle the thorny issue of prisoner voting rights, as the draft bill approaches committee stage. Everything you need to know about the Labour-union row in five minutes Ed Miliband is being both bold and stupid. That is what those in the world of Westminster diplomatically refer to as 'courageous'. Comment: Salmond's cheap Wimbledon trick shows the cynicism behind the smile Alex Salmond's attempt to unfurl a Saltire following Andy Murray's Wimbledon win shows the scheming politician lurking behind the bonhomie. Comment: Stop knocking our gin-soaked HS2 Nimbys Derided as selfish, short-sighted and narrow-minded, Nimbys are only fighting their corner, protecting their own. They're doing what most of us would do. The political week onlineThe Political Week Online: Smoke and microscopes Rows over cigarette packaging, sexism accusations, and Barack Obama peering at you through a microscope. Playfully. Next week in politicsWeek in Westminster: July 15th - 19th The Week in Westminster: July 15th - 19th | Voice: Public urged to take part on consultation on “outrageous” pay recommendation for MPsVoice: the union for education professionals – which represents teachers, education support staff and nursery workers – has rejected the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority’s recommendations on MPs’ pay and called on members of the public to send their views to Ipsa.Public urged to take part on consultation on “outrageous” pay recommendation for MPs CPAG: Low wages and Universal Credit in danger of locking families into povertyAlison Garnham, Chief Executive of Child Poverty Action Group, responds to the findings of a Joseph Rowntree Foundation report on Universal Credit published today. MRSA Action UK: Accounting for the reductions in MRSA and C.diff flawed - these are lives, not numbersPublic Health England figures show that trends over the last two years reveal that there is a direct correlation between the hospital and community apportioned cases of both Clostridium difficile and MRSA bloodstream infections. Prestigious CITP status now available through the IETThe Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) is pleased to announce that it is now offering Chartered IT Professional (CITP) status for experienced IT specialists. ESRC: New Council appointmentsDavid Willetts, the Minister for Universities and Science, has appointed four new Council members to the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). BHA: Legal humanist marriages move one step closerThe government has today brought forward a proposal for regulations that would give legal recognition to humanist marriages in England and Wales. The proposal is being made as an amendment to the Same Sex Marriage Bill currently in the House of Lords and comes in the wake of overwhelming cross-party support for legal recognition expressed by peers from all parties at the previous reading of the Bill. Construction Products Association: Construction Product Sales Bounce Back In Q2The Construction Products Association’s latest State of Trade Survey released today indicates that sales of construction products recovered slightly during the second quarter of 2013. This recovery was driven principally by exports and a ‘bounce’ following a Q1 slump which had been exacerbated by poor weather. Rethink Mental Illness: It’s time for Jeremy Hunt to make ‘parity of esteem’ a realityResponding to the publication of the NHS Mandate refresh today, the charities Rethink Mental Illness, Mind, the Mental Health Foundation and the Royal College of Psychiatrists have come together to urge Government to do more to put mental and physical health on an equal footing. |
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