On Friday I received an early copy of David Miliband’s Keir Hardie speech from an unusual source. It’s only when I read the speech I realised why it made sense I got it from them.

The source, close to Jon Cruddas, had co-written it. No wonder Jon Cruddas called it: “the most important speech by a Labour politician for many years” – it chimes with his own sentiments and the language is similar.

So let’s try and join the dots here.

I’ll start by saying I haven’t spoken to anyone from Jon Cruddas’ team about this article simply because it is a hunch. But it’s a strong hunch.

Both Ed and David Miliband have endorsed the idea of a chair for the Labour Party. But neither have expressed a preference.

Jon Cruddas recently rejected the idea of running for leader of the Labour party and said instead:

Those results, in an election that was supposed to deliver a hammer blow to the Labour party, made me more determined than ever to help create a national party rooted in the culture of organising that these local examples signify. Refocusing the party machine, turning the party outwards to the communities we seek to represent, rebuilding our internal democracy and ending the stranglehold of unelected officials are urgent and immediate tasks.

That would basically be the job of the Labour Party chair.

I’m assuming Jon Cruddas wants to be the Labour equivalent of the Democratic party’s Governor Howard Dean, who – after losing the 2004 bid to be leader – became a favourite of the party base and went on to be elected the party’s chair. There he laid down the ’50 state strategy’, which was vital for Obama’s campaign.

So how does this fit in with David Miliband?

David has already endorsed the idea of model of community organising that Cruddas favours. His campaign plans to train up to 1,000 community organisers which won’t just be focusing on winning him the nomination, but also on re-building local Labour networks across the country.

Having Cruddas as chair would be immensely helpful to both of the Milibands. It would make it easier for either of them to move to the centre closer to the election while Cruddas reaches out to the left-wing base of the party.

Regular readers will know I’m a fan of Jon Cruddas. This not only makes strategic sense but I think he would make an excellent chair of the party. Labour needs to be rebuilt from ground up and through a model of community organising that his campaign ran successfully in Dagenham. Now they need to replicate that model across the country.

I’m informed however, that Ed Miliband and Jon Cruddas, while being ideologically closer, don’t get on so well personally. But if push comes to shove they are likely to overcome personal differences and go along because this strategy makes sense.

But it seems that David Miliband, with the Keir Hardie speech, has gone the furthest in actively courting Jon Cruddas (I doubt the latter will endorse anyone in the campaign – or even if he does it will be one of the Milibands). I’m guessing it’s a sign of things to come.

Reader comments

1. Liberal Conspiracy

   Is Jon Cruddas positioning to become chair of the Labour party? http://bit.ly/9mEQia

2. Joseph Barnsley

   @SteveAkehurst http://tinyurl.com/37wnqzl

3. Izzy Boggild-Jones

   RT @libcon Is Jon Cruddas positioning to become chair of the Labour party? http://bit.ly/9Obav4

4. Ellie Russell

   RT @libcon: Is Jon Cruddas positioning to become chair of the Labour party? http://bit.ly/9mEQia

5. Richard Budden

   @ellierussell RT @libcon: Is Jon Cruddas positioning to become chair of the Labour party? http://bit.ly/9mEQia <— I bloody hope so!!!

6. B Latif

   That is the obvious conclusion. Why not?
   RT @libcon: Is Jon #Cruddas positioning to become #chair of the #Labour party? http://bit.ly/9mEQia

7. Paul Sandars

   RT @EllieRussell: RT @libcon: Is Jon Cruddas positioning to become chair of the Labour party? http://bit.ly/9mEQia

8. Steve Ainsworth

   I sincerely hope so. I might rejoin. RT @libcon: Is Jon Cruddas positioning to become chair of the Labour party? http://bit.ly/9mEQia

9. James Easy

   RT @EllieRussell: RT @libcon: Is Jon Cruddas positioning to become chair of the Labour party? http://bit.ly/9mEQia

10. sunny hundal

    Is Jon Cruddas positioning to become chair of the Labour party? http://bit.ly/9mEQia

11. Adam White

    RT @sunny_hundal: Is Jon Cruddas positioning to become chair of the Labour party? http://bit.ly/9mEQia > nicely put Sunny, totally agree.

12. Arran Russell

    RT @sunny_hundal: Is Jon Cruddas positioning to become chair of the Labour party? http://bit.ly/9mEQia

13. Arran Russell

    @TomBage it might be so according to @sunny_hundal http://bit.ly/9mEQia

14. Peterward

    @Neilwigg
    http://liberalconspiracy.org/2010/07/12/is-jon-cruddas-positioning-to-become-chair-of-the-labour-party/

15. Neil Wigglesworth

    RT @peterward2008 @Neilwigg
    http://liberalconspiracy.org/2010/07/12/is-jon-cruddas-positioning-to-become-chair-of-the-labour-party/ < ?

16. sunny hundal

    I made this argument after Kier Hardie lecture – before Cruddas said he wanted to be chair http://bit.ly/9mEQia

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