Ed Miliband’s New Year Message for 2014

We are in the midst of the biggest cost-of-living crisis in a generation. It’s we people feel, go around the country, go to towns, villages, cities, for people saying, whether it’s people not being able to afford the weekly shop or worried about the gas and electric bill—or saying ‘I have always thought of myself as reasonably well off but I’m really having trouble making ends meet’. Somebody said to me the other day, “I cannot afford this government.” Surely we can do better than this as a country. And I think people are hurting, people are wanting us to do better, people are thinking, “Look, I have made the sacrifices, and where is the benefit? And the Government keeps telling me that everything is fixed, those things are not fixed for me.”

And I need a government, I need a prime minister, and that’s a prime minister I will be. Well, actually, wake up each morning:

How do we make life easier for ordinary families? Never mind the obstacles, never mind the powerful interests in the way. We’re willing to take them on, we’re willing to act, to help ordinary families. You never get that from David Cameron.

The Tories want to change the conversation from the cost of living crisis. You know, they will talk about anything but the cost of living crisis. Inherent in their vision is not a solution to the cost of living crisis, but the problem. And I have a much, much more optimistic vision about what the country can achieve.

People do not want the earth. They prefer some very specific promises, specific things that a government will do - whether it’s freezing energy bills, or taking action on pay day lenders, or tackling issues around childcare which lots of working parents face. All of this, you know, is adding up to a programme for how we can change things. And it’s clearly costed, and it’s credible and it’s real.

We are going to show to people in 2014 how by standing up for the right people, being willing to take on the powerful interests, be willing to make big changes in our economy, we can deal with the cost of living crisis both now and in the future and actually earn and grow our way to a higher standard of living for people.

And I think that matters so much to people. It matters so much for people now because they are feeling that they cannot afford to pay their gas bill or do the weekly shop. And it matters so much in the future because so many people are thinking what future is there in this country for my kids, for my son or daughter, my nieces and my nephews, you know, how are we going to make a difference to them?

We are facing a once in a generation cost of living crisis and we can be relentlessly focused on that in 2014. I’m going to make decisions on your behalf.

Every morning I get up I’m going to be thinking about you, how I can make your life better, your life easier - no easy answers - not an easy life - but how do we tip the balance, a bit towards hope and away from the struggles you are facing.

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