After a morning campaigning in Eastleigh, Andy Burnham, Ed Balls, Diane Abbott and the Miliband brothers came onto the stage at 11am and ironically Abbott was positioned furthest left, with David Miliband furthest right. The chair of the debate was quick to assure us that lots had been drawn beforehand and the seating arrangements were purely coincidental.
The five leadership hopefuls answered ten questions from members of the audience on a number issues, from the war in Afghanistan to narrowing the gap between the rich and poor, with each getting about two minutes to deliver a sharp reply. Speaking to Ed Balls immediately afterwards he said he thought the format was limited as there was little actual debate, as the candidates weren't able to challenge each other. Nevertheless, I thought the event was useful to Labour members who have yet to make up their mind over who to vote for as next leader, we learnt about where they all stood on a range of issues. For example, David Miliband was very critical of the election manifesto which his younger brother Ed had co-ordinated, whereas Ed Balls defended the "a future fair for all" publication.
Yesterday's hustings also allowed us to look at the body language of the candidates when the other contenders were talking. I tried not to laugh at the look of disbelief on David Miliband's face when Diane Abbott claimed she understood the situation in Afghanistan better than anyone else because she comes from a colony. She also took a swipe at the Shadow Foreign Secretary when she said she has spoken to more troops in Afhanistan than a minister would have and it this point the elder Miliband did not look very happy with the MP he had helped get into the contest.
To get an idea of which hopeful would make the most effort to reconnect the leadership with grass roots, it was best to stay behind afterwards to see who was happy to chat to members. Andy Burnham had perhaps looked the most out of place on stage, seeming tense throughout, but after he spoke passionately about a National Care Service for the elderly I approached him to find out more about the idea and he was much more confident and personable one-to-one. Burnham may not be Prime Ministerial material, but he has some big, radical ideas, with the National Care Service being one of the time. He proposed that those in need of personal care would be subject to a 10% levy on their estate in return for recieving the care they need for the rest of their life, without having to sell up and move to a nursing home. Burnham believes this could have the same impact the introduction of the NHS had in the twentieth century and he also spoke of extending student finance to post graduates so that they could complete unpaid internships, something I quite liked the sound of given my current predicament. The former Health Secretary is unlikely to become the next Labour leader, but with a sense of moral duty and innovative ideas he should be considered in high regard in the shadow cabinet.
The candidate I was most impressed with yesterday was without doubt Ed Miliband and after mauling over it for a few weeks I pledged my support to him after the hustings. He gave a strong performance, was probably the most genuine of the five candidates and was very passionate about the future of the party. His plans for a Living Wage and replacing tuition fees with a graduate tax will appeal to many members, but his biggest strength is his willingness to reconnect with the grassroots of the party, which was shown when he agreed to come for a drink with a few of us activists in Southampton after the event. More than happy to pay for the round, Ed Miliband spent a good 45 minutes with us, asking what voters we spoke to during the election campaign were most concerned about and discussing issues such as climate change and the spending cuts imposed on us by the coalition. He wanted to spend even longer chatting to us, but had to leave to attend a Q and A session in Reading.
Over the last ten years it has been fair to say that the Labour leadership have treated their loyal members with a certain amount of distain, ignoring activists on the dangers of a war in Iraq and the crackdown on civil liberties, but with Ed Miliband as leader it appears that the activists will have more of a say over the future direction of the party and that is why he has my support.
David Miliband is still the clear favourite to succeed Gordon Brown as permanent leader of the opposition in September, but with his younger brother's campaign now gathering momentum it will surely be a close contest.
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