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13 May 2015updated 26 Jul 2021 4:53am

Andy Burnham launches his campaign for the Labour leadership

"Labour wins when it speaks for everyone".

By Anoosh Chakelian

Andy Burnham, long tipped to be a frontrunner for the next Labour leader, has declared.

He refers to that word we’re hearing a lot from the Labour leadership candidates: “aspiration”.

The party that I love has lost its emotional connection with millions of people.

The way to get it back can’t possibly be to choose one group of voters over another – to speak only to people on zero-hour contracts or only to shoppers at John Lewis. 

Our challenge is not to go left or right, to focus on one part of the country above another, but to rediscover the beating heart of Labour.

And that is about the aspirations of everyone, speaking to them like we did in 1997.

And what is aspiration?

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It is about giving every single person the dream of a better life. 

About helping all of our businesses, small and large, to get on and grow.

He also refers to being a candidate who working people can relate to:

And it needs a leader whose voice can carry into all the nations and regions of the UK.

Be heard in every home, 

Someone who people can relate to, who understands their lives

I am that person.

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