Can Gordon turn the tide?

9:30am Thursday 15th May 2008

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As rumours of a challenge to Gordon Browns leadership begin to circulate, Ashok Kumar explains why he thinks Mr Brown is the right man to take the Labour Party into the next General Election

IT IS almost a fortnight since the political earthquake of the disastrous local election results shook the foundations of the Labour Party. Now that the dust has settled, Labour members and activists like myself have had the opportunity to reflect.

Readers of The Northern Echo will remember that two years ago I caused a brief national media storm when I called for a smooth and rapid succession of power from Tony Blair to Gordon Brown. At the time, I was described as the first member of the Government C albeit a lowly, unpaid Parliamentary Private Secretary C openly to call for Mr Blair to be replaced by Mr Brown sooner rather than later.

The May local elections were the first major test of Mr Browns premiership and, with results worse than expected, many are now questioning the future direction of the party. The media rumour mill has been in overdrive with exaggerated notions that the Prime Minister might face a challenge.

The fact that some of those Labour MPs who all but carried Mr Brown into Number 10 Downing Street on their shoulders have now lost faith and are openly criticising him reveals more about the fickle and ruthless nature of politics than it does about his performance as leader.

I said two years ago that Mr Brown is among the most capable of politicians I have ever known. I still believe that there is nobody better equipped to take our party forward.

We must not forget that he took over from Mr Blair perhaps three years too late when the partys popularity was on the wane, Iraq had taken its toll and voters were growing restless. Mr Brown will be the first to admit that after a very encouraging start, the honeymoon period came to an abrupt end after the election that never was.

Even then, it was impossible to imagine the Conservatives being in a position just eight months later where they could realistically aim to win the next General Election.

Labour must ensure that we stop making damaging and unnecessary mistakes such as the abolition of the 10p tax rate. Lowering the tax bracket for the majority at the expense of some of the lowest-paid was a grave error which threatened to undo years of hard work by Mr Brown himself in supporting the most vulnerable in society.

There was a sense that when the 10p rate was abolished in the 2007 Budget, and with the changes to the inheritance tax threshold, that we were merely trying to outfox the Tories. As the party in government we should not let the Tories have the policy initiative.

Just as our position in the polls has declined so drastically since the highs of last summer, the Tories lead could evaporate in an equally short time.

Nothing can be taken for granted in politics. That is why we must not panic at the first sign of trouble and allow ideological divisions to make us unelectable.

We must not naively think that a change of leader would dramatically alter our fortunes.

With a resurgent and united opposition party, any attempt to replace our leader so soon into his premiership would be an electoral disaster. The local election results demonstrated that not only have the Tories broadened their appeal, but they are still managing to mobilise their core support.

For too long, Labour MPs have dismissed David Cameron as a lightweight. Ever since his first party conference as leader in 2005, I have regarded him as a competent politician, capable of reaching beyond his core vote and re-branding his party.

However, May 1s results will present both great opportunities and great challenges for the Conservatives. If they can demonstrate that they can successfully run London before the General Election, it will be a significant feather in their cap.

They have already passed the first test by showing they can be an effective opposition, but now they must convince the public that they are ready for government.

This will require the Tories to adopt a more policy-orientated approach, which will open them up to greater scrutiny. It will also become increasingly difficult for Mr Cameron to keep his backbenchers quiet when it comes to forming a real alternative programme for government.

The next big test for the Tories will be the byelection in Crewe and Nantwich, the late Gwyneth Dunwoodys seat. With a majority of just over 7,000, this is a seat the Tories must win. My conversations with my constituents indicate that a very substantial shift is occurring in our popularity. The Tories are certainly making progress. Even in my constituency, a middle-England seat with a majority of 8,000, I will be fighting all the way to the election.

After 11 years in power, however hard we try to persuade voters that our record speaks for itself, it is inevitable that people start to take for granted many of our greatest achievements. I constantly remind constituents that before 1997 there was no minimum wage, people had to pay for childcare and there was a climate of intolerance which had been entrenched throughout the Thatcher years.

Prolonged periods of economic stability and high employment were simply unheard of.

Fighting for a fourth term against a resurgent Conservative Party will be Labours biggest challenge since 1983 and we must do a great deal more than remind voters of how good our record in government is. We must convince voters that we have a vision which goes beyond three terms in office, and in doing so we must not lose sight of the values which captivated the nation in 1997.

AS the architect of many of the Governments key policies which have radically enhanced millions of peoples lives, Gordon Brown is the right man to implement this vision.

There are many great policies being introduced on a daily basis but we need bigger themes. Mr Brown should develop three or four big ideas or themes which will clearly separate us from the Tories. These could include tackling the challenge of climate change, a concerted effort to bridge the gap between rich and poor, positively supporting our precious public services and perhaps overdue reforms of Parliament and the constitution.

Gordon Brown would be in his element talking about those core Labour values which he consistently extolled as Chancellor. For bringing unrivalled economic stability, while at the same time channelling funds directly to the most vulnerable in our society, he was unquestionably one of the greatest Chancellors this country has ever known.

Now, more than ever, we need him to regain his confidence and rediscover his voice. I vividly recall how he demolished Thatchers chancellor Nigel Lawson on the floor of the House in 1988. This is the Gordon Brown who is capable of turning the political tides back in our favour.

There is a long time before the next General Election and there is a huge task ahead. But, if we are brave enough to introduce policies which will tackle inequality and injustice and re-engage with our core voters the next election is ours to win.

If anyone can, a confident and bold Gordon Brown can. As he said in his party conference speech in 2003: We are best when we are boldest, we are best when we are united, we are best when we are Labour.

ö Ashok Kumar is MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland