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Labour must say sorry - minister Labour must say sorry - minister
(about 7 hours later)
Labour should apologise to voters, party members and workers for "mistakes made in recent times", a junior health minister has said.Labour should apologise to voters, party members and workers for "mistakes made in recent times", a junior health minister has said.
Ivan Lewis, whose local authority of Bury was captured recently by the Conservatives, said ministers needed to connect with voters' "real concerns".Ivan Lewis, whose local authority of Bury was captured recently by the Conservatives, said ministers needed to connect with voters' "real concerns".
They should not appear as a group of "bland administrators" from "planet Westminster", he told the BBC.They should not appear as a group of "bland administrators" from "planet Westminster", he told the BBC.
He also stressed the need for loyalty within party ranks.He also stressed the need for loyalty within party ranks.
He said the prime minister had his full support and any attempt to undermine Gordon Brown was the "road to ruin". 'Road to ruin'
'Let people down' Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said: "We've made mistakes... Gordon's made mistakes, frankly ministers have made mistakes and there's some backbenchers who've lost a focus on the public's everyday issues."
His comments come in the run-up to the Crewe and Nantwich by-election on 22 May - that election was caused by the death of veteran Labour MP Gwyneth Dunwoody. He called on "Team Labour" to acknowledge that it had let people down and move forward.
In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Mr Lewis said: "It is not just Gordon who needs to apologise. But Mr Lewis stressed that the prime minister had his full support and any attempt to undermine Gordon Brown was the "road to ruin".
"We should all just say we got things wrong, that we are sorry that we have let people down. Because that is how people feel." He says the public will choose Gordon Brown, "a statesman, a person of substance", over the Conservative leader David Cameron at a general election.
He explained that once Labour had apologised, the party then needed to draw a line under things and get on the with job of making a difference. His comments come in the run-up to the Crewe and Nantwich by-election on 22 May - prompted by the death of veteran Labour MP Gwyneth Dunwoody.
Mr Lewis became MP for Bury South in the Labour landslide of 1997 and took his first ministerial post in 2001 in the Department for Education and Skills.Mr Lewis became MP for Bury South in the Labour landslide of 1997 and took his first ministerial post in 2001 in the Department for Education and Skills.
In the recent local elections, his local authority of Bury, near Manchester, was won by the Conservatives for the first time since 1980.In the recent local elections, his local authority of Bury, near Manchester, was won by the Conservatives for the first time since 1980.