We’ve heard lots of references to 1983 in this leadership election. Like Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, I first entered parliament that year. We lost that election for several reasons but ultimately because we were divided. The SDP split from Labour guaranteed Margaret Thatcher’s Conservatives a second term, in which they consolidated their attack on the unions, industry and public services. The Labour left was fighting a passionate but often inward-looking campaign for party democracy and several figures on the right of the party spent much of that election denouncing the manifesto. It’s no surprise we lost.
All wings of the party need to reflect on the lessons for us in 2015. We can win back support from Conservative commuters in the south who are fed up with rip-off railways and win back support from those who voted for parties that portrayed themselves as anti-establishment – the SNP, Ukip, the Greens, and so on – by showing that we are not afraid to debate difficult issues such as welfare and the economy and take on Tory myths. We will do so with humanity and honesty and by offering practical policies that resolve problems, not demonising individuals. Recent polls suggest that this approach can work, with both YouGov in London and Survation’s UK-wide polls showing that I am the candidate who can reach out to all voters and former non-voters.
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