Labour needs to get out more to understand the problems on the high street. argues High Street campaigner Paul Turner-Mitchell
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Britain's high streets: one nation which isn't as bustling as it should be. Photograph: Lewis Whyld/PA
As any copywriter worth their salt will tell you, great slogans are catchy, memorable and instantly understood. The Labour leader, Ed Miliband's conference speech about creating a 'one nation business model' ticks none of these boxes.
The response I've seen on the high street is the same wherever I go; a brow furrowing look of puzzlement. This is not so much branding as bewildering. If a 'one nation business model' is seen as the answer to the high street's problems then it makes you wonder what our political leaders think the question is.
During the conference, I hesitantly made my way to a 'meet the public' event with the Labour leader. Getting the high street on to politicians' radar, I reasoned, means small businessmen like myself will have to make their case.
Unfortunately, I hadn't reckoned on the event being hijacked by apparatchiks. It didn't take long to realise this was never going to be a 'meet the public' event when first a Labour councillor piped up and then questions about electoral reform followed. This was Labour comfort zone stuff and I knew then my question on retail would never be heard.
Much has been said about Ed Miliband's policy wonk image and high intellect. For me this is irrelevant, as there's an otherworldliness about most politicians anyway. That said, I did warm to Mr Miliband and he is far more human than people make out. But I do think it's time the Labour Party as a whole started to entertain less blue-sky thinking and embrace some coalface learning.
If Britain is going to dig itself out of recession then politicians of all stripes desperately need to start engaging with small business. Instead of relying on an army of lobbyists and think tanks to inform them of what's needed, it's time politicians broke out of their comfort zone and looked small businessmen and women in the eye.
There is one politician in Labour's ranks who adopts this approach. His name is Andy Burnham, the shadow health secretary. He told a fringe event at the conference:
I tell all my team to get out there into hospitals and shadow nurses to see what's happening on the wards.
Andy Burnham: getting out and about. Photograph: Ray Tang/Rex Features Can you imagine if Ed Miliband or the Party's shadow business team followed the same approach and all spent a day working with a small business on the high street? This is a critical area of our economy that can't be viewed through the prism of think tanks and policy briefing papers. You have to experience the challenge of the high street first hand before you can develop effective policies.
Instead of agonising over clever political slogans, the real hard work of opposition should be getting out of Westminster and getting in touch with the country that they want to have the privilege of leading. So if any of the Miliband team wants a taste of working in an independent fashion boutique in Rochdale, give me a call. As someone said before me, every little helps.
Paul Turner-Mitchell owns Rochdale's 25 Ten boutique, writes columns for Drapers and Retail Week and contributed to Mary Portas' high street review. He was recently included in the Drapers 2011 top 100 Powerlist as one of the most influential people in fashion.