What should Labour do now?

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/may/17/what-should-labour-do-now-four-new-mps-reply

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Melanie Onn, Great Grimsby

Rejecting our message on social justice, equality and the rights of working people is not the way forward. This is the founding basis of the Labour party and should not be jettisoned in the clamouring race for the perceived centre ground.Considering how we communicate with people, identifying along their locale and community lines as opposed to their values or class requires a significant shift in our traditional approach. With further welfare and public sector cuts to come and the potential for even deeper poverty among millions of Britons, it is possible desperate levels of deprivation and divorce from "political elites" will generate stronger nationalism.

Labour’s loss, on reflection, exceeds the lack of "economic credibility" being faithfully repeated by many. The Tory hatchet job on the prospect of a Labour/SNP coalition buried deep on both sides of the border and opened wounds which fester. We must be alive to the possibility that nationalist sentiment, whether Scottish, English or other will not fade away. deeper poverty among millions of Britons, it is possible desperate levels of deprivation and divorce from "political elites" will generate stronger nationalism. The majority of our political leaflets go in the (recycling) bin. Accusations of only being around at election time come thick and fast. We are all in it for ourselves, another frequent refrain.. Labour is a collective movement born out of communities. That is our strength. We are not just a party; we are a movement. Elected representatives must not hide in town halls, offices or behind a portcullis. Get out there, talk to people, be genuine, cut the crap – and campaign.

Wes Streeting, Ilford North

We should be have no illusions about the scale of Labour’s defeat. The challenge is greater and more complex than the one that confronted us in 1992. Unsuccessful candidates and their dedicated campaign teams can hold their heads high. This defeat was not theirs; this was a failure of politics, not organisation. We gambled that David Cameron and the Tories were so unappealing that an unambitious 35% strategy could see us through. The result was the triumph of mediocrity. Never again can the Labour party go into a general election with negative ratings on leadership and economic credibility. We need a leader who is thinking beyond the coalition they need to win the Labour leadership to the coalition we need to win the country. Under the Tories, Britain is at risk of becoming more divided at home and more isolated abroad. There is nothing inevitable about Britain’s place in the world or, frankly, the future of our party.

We don’t need the 1997 manifesto reheated, or the past five years repeated. The conversation should start with the national interest before party interest. With an authentic and radical leader we might, just might, be trusted again to govern.

Conor McGinn, St Helens North

Faith, flag and family. We need to understand them and reconnect with people who think they are important, rooting ourselves in the communities where they matter.You don’t have to do God to get faith. In my constituency, churches and their volunteers run the pensioners’ lunch clubs, the parent and toddler groups and the food banks. They are there for people who need them most. They also occupy a civic space, organising events including the recent VE Day commemorations and a pre-election hustings. They are trusted and respected. Labour could learn a lot from them. We need to be a patriotic party that neither superficially exploits nor obnoxiously denigrates the flag and those who feel pride in it. Who people are, and what they feel, matters. Labour has to emotionally connect with the many layers of identities people have now - local, regional and national. We need to show who we are and what we feel.

Jo Cox, Batley and Spen

Labour’s loss has led to a frenzy of lesson-learning. I think this will settle on these key things: 1. We need a leader who can effectively communicatewith the country; 2. We must go out of our way to regain trust on the economy; talking about how much we love the NHS isn’t enough; 3. We will win an election only by taking chunks of middle Britain with us; 4. We need a Scotland-specific strategy. These lessons are important to internalise and difficult to implement, but addressing them will only take us so far. We must also articulate our vision. Politics has to be about a vision for a better country, not a slightly better-run one; that’s what the civil service is for. Without that we won’t excite or inspire.

One of the reasons the Tories have floundered in government, and will do so even more now they have a majority, is they don’t have a vision. Post the big- society disappearing over the horizon with the huskies, what the Tories are for has as many answers as there are Tories in the room. This creates dysfunctional government, internal dissent and basic incoherence.

Our vision for a better country must be rooted in our values, which we can and should be proud of and which resonate with the electorate. If we can get this right, for all the reasons above, the Tories are hugely vulnerable.