Labour suffered a terrible defeat at the election. Bluntly, the public said we weren’t up to the job. We’ve now got to prove that we are. We need grown-up opposition to the Tories on behalf of the 9.3 million people who voted for us. And we need to show we’re a government in-waiting to win over those who didn’t.
Labour lost because people weren’t convinced that we had a sure-footed plan – security as well as change – for a country ill at ease with itself and its place in the world.
This means that as we rebuild, our Labour leadership debates must deal with the concerns of the country, not just the problems of the party. We need to offer a vision for Britain.
That’s why I’ve decided to run for Labour’s new deputy leader.
I had no intention of doing this, but I’ve been dismayed at how narrow and shallow Labour’s debate has been so far.
I know I’m a late entrant when others have been up and running for some time. But the scale of the defeat, the complexity of the lessons, and the huge task of holding things together while we rebuild requires a unifier. Someone who can work across the political breadth of the party and with the unions.
Our new leader must be able to give their total attention to establishing themselves and re-establishing Labour with the country. Labour’s internal affairs have to be left largely to others, but their deputy must be much more than a party manager and motivator.
One in 10 people considered voting Labour, but thought better of it. Our challenge is to convince people we’re big enough and good enough for government. That we have the vision of the fundamental, generational change Britain now needs, and the political weight to do it.
Here’s the Britain I want to see.
Leading as a force for good in the world within an outward-looking Europe, embracing our international obligations on both military and aid spending, as well as on climate change. Labour has more than a century’s proud history as an internationalist party.
Investing to create good jobs and cure our productivity malaise, with a modern industrial policy to bring on world-beating firms like we have in our engineering, tech and multimedia industries. Labour is nothing without a mission for decent jobs.
Making a generational shift of power to local areas so we create and spread wealth fairly across our divided country. Labour is backed in local power by people across the UK, and local leaders need far-reaching devolution to do the job.
Convincing parents that their kids can afford a decent home, by getting councils and private developers building again, as I did as Labour’s last housing minister. Labour is best when it brings smart state support together with private enterprise.
I know as a campaigner for 30 years that change doesn’t come easily.
But I’m optimistic about the future for Britain and for Labour. And I want to help lead that change.
