Labour race to declare on Saturday

Since Ed Milliband’s resignation only a few hours after the crushing Labour defeat on 8 May, the party has been very ably led by Harriet Harman, but the leadership contest hasn’t been its finest hour, revealing deep splits and an ominous lack of common purpose or vision. It’s been interesting to see how Jeremy Corbyn quickly moved from rank outsider to the favourite, though until the announcement on Saturday, nothing is certain.

At many of the hustings, he has by common consent, been the outstanding performer, and this was true of the OBV/Patchwork hustings in August, attended by a mainly BME audience wanting answers to issues faced by the BME communities. Andy Burnham and Liz Kendal, though impressive speakers, didn’t seem to have any new solutions, and there was a suspicion that they were re-stating ‘New Labour’ policies and values when the audience wanted a more radical approach, and that was what, in short, concise, passionate answers, Corbyn provided. It was unfortunate that Yvette Cooper didn’t attend, athough Seema Malhotra, MP for Feltham & Heston, was an excellent and impressive substitute.

The appeal of Corbyn is more than not being a direct descendent of New Labour. He has shown he understands the problems faced by the many who didn’t prosper under the neo-Liberal economic policies of Blair and Brown, which Cameron and Osborne have largely adopted. Labour won’t win in the foreseeable future if it tries to appeal to the electorate as a more effective manager of an economy which sees the rich growing richer and poor getting poorer, and where in particular the country’s BME population are seeing increased disadvantage in housing, education, health and employment. There is a place in our political system for a radical left of centre party which puts the fight against racial inequality and injustice close to the top of its list of priorities. With the growing number of BME voters in the years ahead, any political party wanting to win the crucial urban marginals must show it understands the issues facing minority communities...indeed these will be majority communities in many constituencies.

Whoever is named leader of the Labour Party on Saturday must ensure the party works towards a fair society and greater racial equality if it's going to win a majority in 2020 and beyond.

Paul Hensby