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Labour 'must admit its mistakes' Voters 'are confused by Labour'
(about 5 hours later)
The government must admit it has made mistakes if it wants to reconnect with the voting public, Cabinet minister John Denham has said. Voters are confused about what Labour stands for, innovation and skills secretary John Denman has said.
The skills and innovation secretary said Labour's reluctance to acknowledge failings has led to public scepticism. The party was being hammered in the polls because people felt it did not understand "what is happening in their lives," he added.
If ministers did not acknowledge errors the public would not believe they would get it right in the future, he said. His comments come as Labour slumps to a record low of 23% in the latest opinion poll - 26% behind the Conservatives.
An opinion poll has put the Tories 26% ahead of Labour, whose support fell to its the lowest on record at just 23%. The YouGov survey for the Sun newspaper suggested David Cameron's party had the support of almost half of voters (49%).
The YouGov survey for the Sun newspaper suggested David Cameron's opposition had the support of almost half of voters (49%).
However, other recent polls have suggested the gap is smaller.However, other recent polls have suggested the gap is smaller.
10p tax row Mr Denham, who resigned from Tony Blair's government over the Iraq war, made a plea for Labour to put the south of England at the heart of its next election campaign in a speech to the Fabian Society.
Mr Denham's comments follow those of former Cabinet minister Peter Mandelson, who said the government's scrapping of the 10p tax rate was "a very big mistake". Voters' concerns
Mr Mandelson warned Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Thursday against abandoning one of the key tenets of New Labour - helping the poor. Labour's gains in the South of England were a key factor in its three successive general election victories.
"If you lose one tenet then the whole edifice starts looking shaky and that's what's happened," he told BBC News. For several years, we have tailored different messages to different people, at the cost of a vision of society that unites voters from different backgrounds John DenhamInnovation and Skills Secretary
But there were signs at last week's local elections that its support had collapsed, as it lost control of councils such as Reading and Southampton, in Mr Denham's own back yard.
In his speech, the Southampton Itchen MP said Labour had lost a million votes in the South of England between the 1997 and 2005 general elections and winning them back was "crucial" to reviving its fortunes nationally.
He suggested the party had lost touch with voters' concerns on the economy and rising prices and "too many felt our description of their lives was not what they experience".
"Voters will usually forgive us for events beyond our control.
"They will often generously forgive us for individual mistakes, provided they believe we are aiming for the right things. But they won't forgive us for apparently not understanding what is happening in their lives."
He added: "For several years, we have tailored different messages to different people, at the cost of a vision of society that unites voters from different backgrounds.
"It has simply left too many confused about what we stand for."
10p tax 'mistake'
Mr Denham urged the party to restore public confidence by uniting around a single message - that Labour stood for "a fair society in which hard work is rewarded".
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has admitted abolishing the 10p tax rate - seen as one of the major factors behind Labour's local election drubbing - was a "mistake".
He has also attempted to show, in a series of television interviews, that he understands voters' concerns about worsening economic conditions.
On Sunday, he told the BBC's Andrew Marr programme: "I feel the hurt that they feel, petrol prices going up, food prices have gone up, they're worried about the utility bills, they're worried about the standard of living, there's an uncertainty about the economy."
But Mr Brown continues to face criticism from some in his own party who say he has failed to properly explain how workers hit by the abolition of the 10p tax rate will be compensated.
By-election
Former minister Frank Field, who has led the 10p tax rebellion on the Labour benches, warned the issue would continue to harm the party at the polls until it was dealt with.
The Conservatives are determined to make the 10p rate a key issue at the Crewe and Nantwich by-election later this month.
The abolition of the lowest rate of income tax came into effect last month, alongside a reduction in the basic rate of income tax from 22p to 20p and increases in child benefit and tax credits.The abolition of the lowest rate of income tax came into effect last month, alongside a reduction in the basic rate of income tax from 22p to 20p and increases in child benefit and tax credits.
Following an outcry the government has said it will outline a compensation package for pensioners aged 60 to 64 and low earners without children before this autumn's pre-Budget report.Following an outcry the government has said it will outline a compensation package for pensioners aged 60 to 64 and low earners without children before this autumn's pre-Budget report.
The Labour Party suffered its worst local council results in at least 40 years last week, losing 331 councillors and key councils like Reading.