Labour can unite ...and we can win
Iwant to explain today why I am going to stand for Labour leader and to spell out my vision for the future of our party and our country.
I know how much Labour supporters are hurting.
The General Election result was devastating because we know the untold damage Boris Johnson will do to our country over the next five years.
More insecure work, more families left dependent on food banks, union rights slashed and patients left waiting on hospital trolleys in overcrowded A&Es.
We cannot bury our heads in the sand – Labour must rebuild and fast. We have to restore trust in our party as a force for change and a force for good. The millions of people who needed change at the last election still need change.
The moral fight against poverty, inequality and injustice must continue. But as we rebuild, we must not lose sight of our values or retreat from the radicalism of the past few years.
We must be the party of anti-austerity and investment in our public services. We must push for a Green New
Deal to tackle the climate crisis, demand dignity at the heart of our social security system and make the case for a radically transformed economy that empowers trade unions and communities that have been left behind.
And we should lead the fight for peace and justice around the world with a human rights approach to foreign policy and international relations.
The importance of this has become clear in the past few days. Ministers are failing to hold an irresponsible US President to account. The Government’s response to Donald Trump’s dangerous actions in Iran is not good enough.
We face an uphill struggle. The Tories now have a majority in Parliament, overwhelming media support and a huge financial advantage. But we have to take the fight to them. I am proud of Labour as a movement of more than half a million members. We must use that strength and be visible in every community. We have a duty to relentlessly hold the Tories to account for their election promises. I do not underestimate the task ahead, but we have to start straight away. And that means being ready to fight with all our strengths in the council and mayoral elections in May. With a Tory majority in Parliament, our local authorities and mayors are an essential lifeline for communities all over the country.
I believe another future is possible, where everyone can live in a more equal and tolerant world. Some people say it’s going to take a decade before Labour can win a General Election. I profoundly disagree.
As this new decade dawns, I believe we can unite the party, retain our values and win.
We know the untold damage the PM will do to Britain f I’d kept all my New Year’s resolutions over the years, I’d speak about five languages, eat a lot more healthily and would have spent much more time with the family! So this year I’m keeping it simple – and trying to keep off Twitter.