"We'll stick to my plan, which I fully expect Jon Cruddas to let me know what it is by 2015" Not Red Ed warns shadow cabinet

Blue One Nation Labour leader Not Red Ed Miliband has put his shadow cabinet on guard for a possible autumn reshuffle and clear out with a strong warning that he cannot afford any further ill-discipline in the run up to the 2015 general election.

Sources close to the leader say  that Not Red Ed is already minded to make significant changes to his frontbench team after the autumn party conference in Brighton in September,  and said how sweeping these might be is very much dependent on whether his shadow team take the hint and avoid grandstanding at or in the run up to the Conference by making statements and apparent promises about “policies”.

Michael Dugher, the party vice-chairman who has Miliband's ear, with various union’s apparently having other parts of Miliband’s anatomy in a small bag kept in a safe at TUC HQ,  addressed Labour parliamentary private secretaries last week, telling them they would all be under intense scrutiny from the Tories for the next 18 months to two years, and that Conservative officials are already scouring opposition MPs' Twitter accounts, web pages and the media in general in the hope of unearthing damaging or embarrassing material relating to what might be interpreted as “policy statements”.

A source said: "The message from Ed was that whilst we might not be in government now any slip, such as suggesting the party had a firm and agreed policy on something, can do huge damage to the party's chances of actually getting into government because people will expect to see it in the manifesto and if we react to this expectation and include it, then secondly when the party gets back into government the electorate expect you to follow it.  And that has worked really well for Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats, hasn’t it?   So the next 18 months are  crucial.  And the next few weeks are crucial ahead of the June spending review.  In fact every day is crucial. We must say "nothing” about what we would or might do, and just focus on how badly the present government is operating and implementing policies we devised”.

With Labour's poll lead showing signs of decreasing in recent weeks, some at the top of the party have told Ed there is also a need for the leadership to "crack the whip" and use the prospect of a reshuffle to ensure loyalty and encourage frontbenchers to strictly avoid trying to “make their mark”. 

 

Pressed to name names the spokesperson remained guarded, simply saying "There are too many people in frontbench positions who are very visible and sometimes vocal.  Ed, Yvette and Liam know who they are” adding  "We don't know why they do what they do, going around suggesting we might do something different. We want our people to be inactive and disciplined,  and to stop frightening or misleading the electorate into thinking we are contemplating being different to the present government, and indeed the government before it, should we get back into office.  The electorate don’t believe it, as evidenced by the reduction in our poll ratings. The prospect of a reshuffle should focus these idiots minds right through the summer and during conference."