Nandy: Labour party must change or die
LABOUR leader hopeful Lisa Nandy is warning the party must evolve or face being wiped out.
The Wigan MP, 40, believes four years of Labour infighting meant that by last year’s election no one was listening.
She said: “We have to rebuild trust in the Labour Party. People need to feel it is for all our communities.
“We could be in power in four years, if we get it wrong there won’t be a Labour Party to vote for.”
Lisa wants the railways back in public ownership and energy companies decentralised so communities are in control.
The bookies put her behind Sir Keir Starmer and Rebecca Long-bailey to become leader on April 4.
But she is still bullish about her chances, believing second preferences will be crucial. She said: “We’ve now got to change course dramatically. We can’t just steady the ship.”
Lisa quit her shadow Cabinet post in June 2016 during the failed coup against leader Jeremy Corbyn and backed rival Owen Smith. But she said that does not make her any less of a socialist.
She said: “I believe in socialism and it was frustrating under the last Labour government when we didn’t define ourselves as that.”
Lisa wants licence fee payers to elect BBC directors as well proper regulation of social media. She said: “There’s a particular problem for women MPS in constituencies where there’s been huge economic decline. Men have lost their jobs and take it out on them.”
She believes Labour has become too paternal and added: “It’s not our job to tell people what sort of
lives they should lead.”