Writer and consultant. Director of The Downing Street Project Posted: September 25, 2010 08:42 PM
In the the UK Labour Party, the choice of a new leader quickly narrowed down from five contenders to a choice of brothers: David and Ed Miliband, the two sons of the late Ralph Miliband, the British academic.
By entering the race as competitors, campaigners for each brother were forced to create significant differences where there were actually very few, and damaged the advantage of their natural alliance as the party begins its stint in Opposition.
Ed would do well to embrace the 1000 strong group of 'future leaders' which arose from the Movement for Change, founded by David as a future model for party and community activism.
While Ed got the headlines for his promises to reclaim the grass roots of the party, his brother's Movement for Change (known as M4C) was concretely activating the grass roots, by holding Obamaesque training sessions for community organisers (http://www.davidmiliband.net/movement-for-change/).
Only hours before the leadership announcement, I witnessed a local Manchester M4C group in action. They staged a transformation of a concrete wall in the middle of Manchester's Piccadilly Gardens - a subject of fierce local debate - into a Living Wall, with masses of hand drawn flowers attached with clothes pegs.
Although it was a playful intervention to draw the attention of local councillors and media as well as the public, it had a deeper intent - to highlight the lack of green space in Manchester, the absence of which has had a whole range of effects on physical and mental health in the community.
Before the action there was a morning's training: after the action, a half-hour's evaluation. The participants of all ages in the room were energised and excited about the prospect of further local actions like this.
There has been much talk that Ed has attracted a new generation of young people to Labour through his work on climate change. At 40, he is easily the youngest of the UK party leaders.
What could be more exciting - and unifying - for this next generation of party activists, than to join the Movement for Change and make it fly?
Then David's contribution to the success of the Labour Party in the coming years will be properly integrated with, rather than competing with, Ed's leadership. In addition to the party unity and the social value their partnership would generate, it might - after a calm but not entirely gentle contest between the brothers - make their Mum happy too.
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