At times, it’s not easy being a Labour Party supporter. That’s the message I heard time after time during the general election campaign. People who had voted Labour all their lives felt that we had lost our way, that we were no longer on their side. It was not disenchanted and disenfranchised voters who lost us the election, though. It was the party, by failing to reach out and by failing to respond properly to what they were being told by their core supporters, that lost it.
It would be easy to turn in ourselves, to indulge in apportioning blame, but that would be a gift to the coalition. Yes, we must learn from our mistakes, but furious hand-wringing will bring nothing but weak opposition and little hope of winning elections.
There are few things more difficult for politicians than admitting they were wrong. But we were. We were wrong not to listen to the concerns of our supporters. We were wrong not to take those concerns seriously and respond accordingly. And we were wrong to take our supporters for granted.
I share the responsibility for that as a senior party figure. Now I want to learn from those errors, to reconnect with our members and supporters and galvanise the party into the powerhouse it can and should be.
Let me make it clear: the Labour Party is not broken. That thousands of new members have joined since our election defeat is testament to the faith that people still have in us as a force for good. As Labour leader, I want to harness that and to make our party stronger than ever.
All six of the declared candidates for the leadership agree that we need to listen to our members and supporters. But we need to do more than that: we have to act on what we have heard.
Some things may be uncomfortable for us to hear. There continues to be deep concern about anti-social behaviour in communities across the country, including in my own constituency. While ASBOs act as a deterrent for some, a small minority wear them like a badge of honour and wreak havoc unabashed. This cannot be allowed to continue. I want to work with the police and other agencies to get to the heart of these problems and resolve them, and give people back their peace and peace of mind.
Immigration is another issue where remaining silent is not an option. Like it or not, there is a perception – and in some cases a reality – that immigration is having a detrimental impact on families, on workers and on communities. We must address those concerns, and be seen to be addressing them. That doesn’t mean we should act on what we’ve heard in a knee-jerk, reactionary way, but we must respond pragmatically, identifying solutions and delivering them.
I want to lead a Labour Party which is a force for good and fairness. I believe that now is the time for us to move forward on the national minimum wage and to develop it into a real living wage. This cannot be done overnight: it will take time, especially in difficult economic circumstances. But I am committed to delivering a living wage that benefits those on the lowest incomes and brings additional benefit to our economy.
Unemployment is the worst blight on equality. The long-term unemployed have the worst health outcomes and their children are the least likely to succeed in education. For the vast majority, it is not a lifestyle choice, it is a downward spiral from which there appears to be no escape.
That is why I am fighting to save the Future Job Fund, which offers real opportunity to young people, providing them with a job, work experience, or training lasting at least six months. The new coalition Government does not see this fund as a priority for spending, but without it we run the risk of returning to an era when unemployment is inevitable from the time someone leaves education until they draw their state pension.
I want to make life better for those, not just in my constituency, but across the country, for whom opportunities are still too often out of reach. I want the Labour Party to again truly be the people’s party – a force for good and for progress, based on the values we share with the overwhelming majority of the British people. If you share my vision, then join me and be part of it.
