What Ed did need was a good editor. There were elements hidden in the hour long speech which were gems which the party and more importantly the country wanted to hear.

Things like Ed's pledge to tackle unfairness and inequality; his pledge to deal with big vested interests like the rip-off energy companies; and his pledge to fight the Tory-Lib Dem government's betrayal of the NHS.

"Let me tell David Cameron this. It's the oldest truth in politics. He knows it and now the public know it. You can't trust the Tories with the NHS."

But the gems were hidden within a speech which was at least 30 minutes too long.

When he struck gold, Ed struck big. He spoke directly to people who have seen social justice torn from the fabric of UK society where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

"Only David Cameron could believe that you make the poor work harder by making them poorer and the rich work harder by making them richer."

Ed was wrong. Not even Cameron believes that, but more importantly, he doesn't care that you don't either.

But the central thread throughout the speech gets to the heart of what Labour is all about. Social fairness.

He dug deep and used the speech to respond directly to Cameron's take on last month's riots.

"I'm not with the Prime Minister. I will never write off whole parts of our country by calling them sick. We are not a country of bad people but great people. Great people in a great country."

But he recognises that there is a deficit of aspiration in this country at the moment which is right at the core of the cause of the riots. A deficit which Ed Miliband aims to tackle through giving people the chance to aspire by encouraging ambition.

To do this Ed aims to break the "closed circles" which exclude the vast majority of ordinary hardworking people from reaching the top of the ladder.

"Inequality reinforces privilege and opportunity for the few. You know what your values are. You believe whether you get on shouldn't depend on where you come from but what you have it within you to become. Those are Britain's values. Reward linked to effort. Something for something.

"But as the rungs of the ladder grow further and further apart, the chance of climbing up, become harder. Think of some of the kids at school today in my constituency, in Doncaster. Or in your town. Ask yourself, what are their chances, however bright, of getting into one of the top universities, competing against people with all the chances in life? Of having the network of connections that will set them up for their career? 21st century Britain: still a country for the insiders."

"The promise of Britain lies in its people. The tragedy of Britain is that it is not being met. My mission. Our mission. To fulfil the promise of each so we fulfil the promise of Britain"

A big promise. Here's hoping Ed's the leader to honour that promise.

Kevin Matthews works for Sefton Central MP Bill Esterson follow him on Twitter HERE.