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Labour needs a prime minister, not a debate. It needs Andy Burnham Labour needs a prime minister, not a debate. It needs Andy Burnham
(1 day later)
In the leadership election, we are not choosing the chair of a discussion group who can preside over two years or more of fascinating debate while the Tories play hell with cuts in local services and public investment, extend injustice and flatlining incomes, sustain or worsen private debt, and deepen the balance-of-payments, productivity, housing and poverty deficits.In the leadership election, we are not choosing the chair of a discussion group who can preside over two years or more of fascinating debate while the Tories play hell with cuts in local services and public investment, extend injustice and flatlining incomes, sustain or worsen private debt, and deepen the balance-of-payments, productivity, housing and poverty deficits.
We have to elect a leader capable of taking us to victory in the 2020 election and of being Labour prime minister.We have to elect a leader capable of taking us to victory in the 2020 election and of being Labour prime minister.
The Trotskyite left and the Telegraph right who might participate in this election clearly have their own malign purposes. I hope that everyone else voting in the leadership election – the great majority who are true Labour people – will make their decision with the greatest possible sincerity and realism. The Trotskyite left and the Telegraph right who might participate in this election clearly have their own malign purposes. I hope that everyone else voting in the leadership election – the great majority who are true Labour people – will make their decision with the greatest possible sincerity and realism.
The vote is not simply about our justified rage against the injustice, inefficiency and waste inflicted by Tory policies now and in the coming years. It must be focused relentlessly on how we can maximise our strength over those years and on our ability to win the 2020 election.The vote is not simply about our justified rage against the injustice, inefficiency and waste inflicted by Tory policies now and in the coming years. It must be focused relentlessly on how we can maximise our strength over those years and on our ability to win the 2020 election.
For us, and for those people of all ages and every condition that we seek to help and advance, it won’t be enough to protest – our ideas and ideals must appeal and prevail.For us, and for those people of all ages and every condition that we seek to help and advance, it won’t be enough to protest – our ideas and ideals must appeal and prevail.
That will require huge, consistent, united efforts by the party. It will need policies that are strongly rooted in Labour values of care, opportunity, security, fairness and freedom. Crucially, our proposals for action must be able to attract votes from the breadth of the British people by offering coherent, practical answers to daily challenges, and tangible prospects of fulfilling hopes and ambitions in housing, employment and enterprise. That will require huge, consistent, united efforts by the party. It will need policies that are strongly rooted in Labour values of care, opportunity, security, fairness and freedom. Crucially, our proposals for action must be able to attract votes from the breadth of the British people by offering coherent, practical answers to daily challenges, and tangible prospects of fulfilling hopes and ambitions in housing, employment and enterprise.
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The task of building for, and earning, victory plainly demands leadership. The person we choose must have absolute dedication, deep understanding of the pressures confronting women and men in every community, the strength to communicate our priorities clearly and compellingly to every part of our society and our country, and the determination to develop the convincing Labour case and defeat Toryism.The task of building for, and earning, victory plainly demands leadership. The person we choose must have absolute dedication, deep understanding of the pressures confronting women and men in every community, the strength to communicate our priorities clearly and compellingly to every part of our society and our country, and the determination to develop the convincing Labour case and defeat Toryism.
These are the reasons I support Andy Burnham. He has the radical values which come from his background, the experience as a campaigner and a cabinet minister, the credible policies on education and training, health and care services, combating poverty and climate change, overcoming underinvestment and underperformance. He manifests a vital resilience that has been produced by his character and convictions. And he puts his intelligence to its best use – producing usable progressive answers to the problems which afflict our age.These are the reasons I support Andy Burnham. He has the radical values which come from his background, the experience as a campaigner and a cabinet minister, the credible policies on education and training, health and care services, combating poverty and climate change, overcoming underinvestment and underperformance. He manifests a vital resilience that has been produced by his character and convictions. And he puts his intelligence to its best use – producing usable progressive answers to the problems which afflict our age.
A Labour party led by Andy will restore its strength, regain wide support and win.A Labour party led by Andy will restore its strength, regain wide support and win.
Lord Kinnock was leader of the Labour party from 1983 to 1992Lord Kinnock was leader of the Labour party from 1983 to 1992